Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm, 1st Baronet, (6 July 1834 – 12 December 1890) was an Austrian-born British
medallist
A medalist (or medallist) is an artist who designs medals, plaquettes, badges, metal medallions, coins and similar small works in relief in metal. Historically, medalists were typically also involved in producing their designs, and were usually e ...
and sculptor, best known for the "
Jubilee head" of
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
on coinage, and the statue of the
Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister of ...
at
Hyde Park Corner
Hyde Park Corner is between Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Mayfair in London, England. It primarily refers to its major road junction at the southeastern corner of Hyde Park, that was designed by Decimus Burton. Six streets converge at the junc ...
. During his career Boehm maintained a large studio in London and produced a significant volume of public works and private commissions. A speciality of Boehm's was the portrait
bust
Bust commonly refers to:
* A woman's breasts
* Bust (sculpture), of head and shoulders
* An arrest
Bust may also refer to:
Places
* Bust, Bas-Rhin, a city in France
*Lashkargah, Afghanistan, known as Bust historically
Media
* ''Bust'' (magazin ...
; there are many examples of these in the
National Portrait Gallery. He was often commissioned by the
Royal Family
A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term ...
and members of the aristocracy to make sculptures for their parks and gardens. His works were many, and he exhibited 123 of them at the
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...
from 1862 to his death in 1890.
Biography
Boehm (originally "Böhm") was born in Vienna of Hungarian parentage.
His father, Josef Daniel Böhm, was a court
medal maker and the director of the
imperial mint in Vienna.
From 1848 to 1851 Boehm studied in London at Leigh's academy of art, the forerunner of the
Heatherley School of Fine Art
The Heatherley School of Fine Art is an independent art school in London.
The school was named after Thomas Heatherley who took over as the school's principal from James Mathews Leigh (when it was named "Leigh's"). Founded in 1845, the school ...
.
He then returned to Vienna where he studied model making and medal design at the
Academie der Bildenden Kunste before working in Italy and then, from 1859 to 1962 in Paris.
In 1856, in Vienna, he was presented with the First Imperial Prize for Sculpture.
In 1862, Boehm settled in London, where he exhibited coins and medals at the
1862 International Exhibition
The International Exhibition of 1862, or Great London Exposition, was a world's fair. It was held from 1 May to 1 November 1862, beside the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society, South Kensington, London, England, on a site that now houses ...
, opened a studio and had his first work, a terracotta bust, shown at the
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...
.
Throughout the 1860s, Boehm, who became a British subject in 1865, devoted his time to the production of portrait busts plus equestrian statues and statuettes.
His portrait subjects included
John Everett Millais
Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet, ( , ; 8 June 1829 – 13 August 1896) was an English painter and illustrator who was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He was a child prodigy who, aged eleven, became the youngest ...
,
Stratford Canning and
Charles Thomas Newton
Sir Charles Thomas Newton (16 September 1816 – 28 November 1894) was a British archaeologist. He was made KCB in 1887.
Life
He was born in 1816, the second son of Newton Dickinson Hand Newton, vicar of Clungunford, Shropshire, and afterw ...
and
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...
.
Boehm's statuette of
William Makepiece Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray (; 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was a British novelist, author and illustrator. He is known for his satirical works, particularly his 1848 novel '' Vanity Fair'', a panoramic portrait of British society, and ...
, although completed after the author's death, was considered such a good likeness that several copies were made including examples for the
Garrick Club
The Garrick Club is a gentlemen's club in the heart of London founded in 1831. It is one of the oldest members' clubs in the world and, since its inception, has catered to members such as Charles Kean, Henry Irving, Herbert Beerbohm Tree, A ...
and for the
Athenaeum
Athenaeum may refer to:
Books and periodicals
* ''Athenaeum'' (German magazine), a journal of German Romanticism, established 1798
* ''Athenaeum'' (British magazine), a weekly London literary magazine 1828–1921
* ''The Athenaeum'' (Acadia U ...
.
![Joseph Edgar Boehm by J](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Joseph_Edgar_Boehm_by_J._P._Mayall.jpg)
Boehm was often commissioned by members of the aristocracy to make equestrian and equine sculptures for the parks and gardens of their stately homes. His large sculpture of the stallion
King Tom
King Tom was the Temne ruler of the land where the Province of Freedom, Sierra Leone was first located.
He was described by John C. Lettsome as "a very fine fellow, so far as dress goes, for he generally has variegated bright colours; his hat ...
(1874) was commissioned by Baron
Mayer Amschel de Rothschild Mayer may refer to:
*Mayer (name)
Places
* C. Mayer (crater), named after Christian Mayer
* Mayer, Syria
* Mayer, Arizona, United States
* Mayer, Minnesota, United States
* Mayersville, Mississippi, United States
* Mayerthorpe, Alberta, Canada ...
for his new mansion,
Mentmore Towers
Mentmore Towers, historically known simply as "Mentmore", is a 19th-century English country house built between 1852 and 1854 for the Rothschild family in the village of Mentmore in Buckinghamshire. Sir Joseph Paxton and his son-in-law, George ...
in 1873, and moved to
Dalmeny House
Dalmeny House (pronounced ) is a Gothic revival mansion located in an estate close to Dalmeny on the Firth of Forth, to the north-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was designed by William Wilkins, and completed in 1817. Dalmeny House is the hom ...
near Edinburgh in 1982.
His large animal works include ''The Young Bull and Herdsman'' (1871) located at The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria, Melbourne. ''The Horse and His Master'' (1874), sometimes known as ''A Clydesdale Stallion Rearing'', in
Malvern and Brueton Park
Malvern and Brueton Park is a town park and local nature reserve in Solihull in the West Midlands. The park is formed from a comparatively narrow strip of land, with the length being approximately ten times the average width, but it is looped ...
in
Solihull
Solihull (, or ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in West Midlands County, England. The town had a population of 126,577 at the 2021 Census. Solihull is situated on the River Blythe i ...
was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1874 and at the 1878 Paris
Universal Exposition
A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specif ...
. The work was bought by the grandson of
Alfred Bird
Alfred Bird (1811 – 15 December 1878) was an English food manufacturer and chemist. He was born in Nympsfield, Gloucestershire, England in 1811Baptised 25 August 1811 in Nympsfield, Gloucester, England. Parents John and Mary. International Ge ...
, Captain Oliver Bird for £300 in April 1944 and gifted to Solihull Council to place in one of their parks.
In 1869, Boehm's work came to the attention of
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
and he rapidly gained favour with the royal court.
In 1871, he executed a statue of Victoria, in marble for
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history.
The original cast ...
, which with the monument of the
Prince Edward in
St. George's Chapel in
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history.
The original cast ...
, are considered his earliest great works.
In total, throughout his career, Boehm completed over forty royal commissions.
He won several commissions to create statues of Victoria to mark her
Golden Jubilee
A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations.
Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali ''"সু ...
, several of which were replica designs, which was a common and accepted practice at the time.
Victoria made clear her approval of Boehm's work by unveiling his statues of her at Windsor and Balmoral which added to the appeal of his work to the local and colonial authorities who typically commissioned such monuments.
During his career Boehm maintained a large studio in London and produced a significant volume of work, including at least fifty-seven public statues and monuments.
In total over 350 sculptures have been attributed to Boehm.
In 1874 Boehm completed a substantial
statue of John Bunyan
A bronze statue of John Bunyan stands on St Peter's Green, Bedford, England. The statue was sculpted by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm, it was erected in 1874, and unveiled on 10 June of that year. The statue was commissioned by the Ninth Duke of Bedfo ...
(1628–1688) which was unveiled on 10 June at St Peter's Green, Bedford, by Lady
Augusta Stanley
Lady Augusta Elizabeth Frederica Stanley (3 April 1822 – 1 March 1876), was daughter of Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin and Elizabeth Oswald, Countess of Elgin. She was brought up in Paris after her father died. She was lady in waiting to Quee ...
, before a crowd of 10,000. There are many statues by Boehm in London. His equestrian statue of the
Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister of ...
at
Hyde Park Corner
Hyde Park Corner is between Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Mayfair in London, England. It primarily refers to its major road junction at the southeastern corner of Hyde Park, that was designed by Decimus Burton. Six streets converge at the junc ...
, unveiled in 1888 was commissioned to compensate for the removal of the
colossal sculpture of the Duke by
Matthew Cotes Wyatt
Matthew Cotes Wyatt (1777 – 3 January 1862) was a painter and sculptor and a member of the Wyatt family, who were well known in the Victorian era as architects and sculptors.
Early life
Wyatt was born in London, the son of the architect James ...
from the nearby
Wellington Arch
Wellington Arch, also known as Constitution Arch or (originally) as the Green Park Arch, is a Listed building, Grade I-listed triumphal arch by Decimus Burton that forms a centrepiece of Hyde Park Corner in central London, between corners of ...
to
Aldershot
Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...
.
Boehm's designs were used on a series of medals minted to mark events in the Queen's reign. These included the
Golden Jubilee
A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations.
Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali ''"সু ...
, her
Diamond Jubilee
A diamond jubilee celebrates the 60th anniversary of a significant event related to a person (e.g. accession to the throne or wedding, among others) or the 60th anniversary of an institution's founding. The term is also used for 75th annivers ...
and for the
Visit to Ireland Medal 1900
Queen Victoria's Commemoration Medal 1900 (Ireland), more commonly referred to as the Visit to Ireland Medal 1900, was awarded to those members of the Irish Police Forces on duty at Queen Victoria’s various engagements during her visit to Irela ...
. In 1887, Boehm designed and executed the model for the dies for a series of coins known as the
Jubilee coinage
Jubilee coinage or Jubilee head coinage are British coins with an obverse featuring a depiction of Queen Victoria by Joseph Edgar Boehm. The design was placed on the silver and gold circulating coinage beginning in 1887, and on the Maundy co ...
, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria's reign. The coins are signed J.E.B. below the shoulder. This design was severely criticised by his peers as well as the public and was replaced in 1893.
The coins depicted the royal arms in the
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George C ...
on the reverse. As a result, the sixpences were frequently gilded and passed off as gold half sovereigns. Therefore, the sixpence reverted to its standard design.
File:Sovereign Victoria 1842 662015.jpg, Queen Victoria, 1842 sovereign 662015
File:The New Zealand Medal, granted by Queen Victoria, after 1866, to commemorate the campaigns of 1845–1847 and 1860–1866 MET DP-180-166.jpg, The New Zealand Medal, awarded after 1866
File:Commemoration Medal for Thomas Carlyle LACMA 79.4.41 (2 of 5).jpg, Commemoration Medal for Thomas Carlyle
File:Retro Pattern Crown 1887 Victoria Joseph Boehm.jpg, Queen Victoria crowned Jubilee head, 1887
Boehm's early portrait busts led, later in his career, to him undertaking a total of fifty-seven church monuments and memorial works, including several in British cathedrals.
For the memorial to General
Charles George Gordon
Major-general (United Kingdom), Major-General Charles George Gordon Companion of the Order of the Bath, CB (28 January 1833 – 26 January 1885), also known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, was a British Army officer and ...
in
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
, he carved an effigy of Gordon recumbent on a sarcophagus.
On the death of
Dean Stanley
Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, (13 December 1815 – 18 July 1881), known as Dean Stanley, was an English Anglican priest and ecclesiastical historian. He was Dean of Westminster from 1864 to 1881. His position was that of a Broad Churchman and he w ...
, Boehm was commissioned to execute his sarcophagus in
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
. The Abbey also houses Boehm's memorials to
Lord Beaconsfield
Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a centr ...
and to
Viscount Canning, plus his marble statue of the
Earl of Shaftesbury
Earl of Shaftesbury is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1672 for Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Baron Ashley, a prominent politician in the Cabal then dominating the policies of King Charles II. He had already succeeded his fa ...
.
His monument to
Archbishop Tait is in
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the ...
.
A number of Boehm's sculptures were reproduced in popular small-scale bronze editions.
These included the soldier figures from the Wellington monument and a ''St. George and the Dragon'' group piece.
Boehm became an Associate of the
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...
in 1878, was appointed sculptor-in-ordinary to the Queen in 1881 and was elected a full member of the Royal Academy in 1882.
In 1889, he was created a baronet, of Wetherby Gardens in the Parish of St Mary Abbots, Kensington, in the County of London.
Boehm encouraged and supported several younger artists and sculptors, most notably
Édouard Lantéri
Édouard Lantéri (31 October 1848 – 22 December 1917) was a French-born British sculptor and medallist whose romantic French style of sculpting was seen as influential among exponents of New Sculpture. His name is also frequently spelle ...
,
Alfred Gilbert
Sir Alfred Gilbert (12 August 18544 November 1934) was an English sculptor. He was born in London and studied sculpture under Joseph Boehm, Matthew Noble, Édouard Lantéri and Pierre-Jules Cavelier. His first work of importance was ''The Kis ...
and
Alfred Drury
Edward Alfred Briscoe Drury (11 November 1856 – 24 December 1944) was a British architectural sculptor and artist active in the New Sculpture movement. During a long career Drury created a great number of decorative figures such as busts and ...
.
Boehm was instrumental in Gilbert being awarded the commission for the
Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain
The Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain, popularly known as Eros, is a fountain surmounted by a winged statue of Anteros, located at the southeastern side of Piccadilly Circus in London, England. Moved after the Second World War from its original pos ...
in
Piccadilly Circus while both Lantéri and Drury worked in Boehm's studio for a time.
Boehm's most famous pupil was the
Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll
Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, (Louisa Caroline Alberta; 18 March 1848 – 3 December 1939) was the sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
In her public life, she was a strong proponent of the arts and highe ...
, daughter of
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
.
She was at his house, at 76
Fulham Road
Fulham Road is a street in London, England, which comprises the A304 and part of the A308.
Overview
Fulham Road ( the A219) runs from Putney Bridge as "Fulham High Street" and then eastward to Fulham Broadway, in the London Borough of Hammers ...
in London, when Boehm died suddenly on 12 December 1890, provoking press speculation about a sexual relationship between the two.
According to historian
Lucinda Hawksley
Lucinda Hawksley (born 17 November 1977) is an English biographer, author, lecturer, and travel writer.
Career
Hawksley studied literature and education before starting her career as a book editor. She took a Master of Arts in literature and ...
, the two had a long-lasting love affair.
There is a memorial to Boehm in the crypt of
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
in London.
Public works
1870–1879
1880–1884
1885–1889
1890 and later
Other works
* Bronze statue of
Thomas Baring, 1st Earl of Northbrook
Thomas George Baring, 1st Earl of Northbrook, (22 January 182615 November 1904) was a British Liberal statesman. Gladstone appointed him Viceroy of India 1872–1876. His major accomplishments came as an energetic reformer who was dedicated to ...
, Old Flagstaff House,
Barrackpore
Barrackpore (also known as Barrackpur) is a city and a municipality of urban Kolkata of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is also a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA ...
, India
* Bronze statue of Queen Victoria, a replica of the Windsor Castle statue, erected 1887, Chapeauk Park,
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
* Statue of
Robert Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala
Field Marshal Robert Cornelis Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala (6 December 1810 – 14 January 1890) was a British Indian Army officer. He fought in the First Anglo-Sikh War and the Second Anglo-Sikh War before seeing action as chief en ...
, completed 1880, Barrackpore, India
* Marble bust of Lady Reay, Fanny Georgiana Jane McKay née Hasker, 1890, the
Cama and Albless Hospital
The 'Cama & Albless Hospital'' (originally just Cama Hospital) is a hospital for women and children in the city of Mumbai, India, with 367 beds.
History
The foundation stone was laid by H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught on 22 November 1883 and ...
, Mumbai
* Bronze statue of
Lord Dufferin
Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava (21 June 182612 February 1902) was a British public servant and prominent member of Victorian society. In his youth he was a popular figure in the court of Queen Vict ...
, 1891. Removed from its original site on Dufferin Road, Kolkata, in the early 1970s to an unknown location
* Statue of
Ashley Eden
Sir Ashley Eden (13 November 1831 – 8 July 1887) was an official and diplomat in British India.
Background and education
Eden was born at Hertingfordbury, Hertfordshire, the third son of Robert Eden, 3rd Baron Auckland, Bishop of Bath a ...
, erected in 1887 in
Dalhousie Square
B. B. D. Bagh, formerly called Tank Square and then Dalhousie Square (1847 to 1856), is the shortened version for Benoy-Badal-Dinesh Bagh. It is the seat of power of the state government, as well as the central business district of Kolkata in ...
, Kolkata, and removed during the 1970s
* Marble statue, c. 1882, of
John Lawrence, 1st Baron Lawrence
John Laird Mair Lawrence, 1st Baron Lawrence, (4 March 1811 – 27 June 1879), known as Sir John Lawrence, Baronet, Bt., between 1858 and 1869, was an English-born Ulsterman who became a prominent British Imperial statesman who served as ...
, a former
Viceroy of India
The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 19 ...
, originally erected in London to some criticism, such that Boehm donated the statue to
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
. In due course the statue, which shows Lawrence holding both a pen and a sword and has the inscription 'Will you be governed by the pen or the sword ?' was relocated to
Foyle College
Foyle College is a co-educational non-denominational voluntary grammar school in Derry, Northern Ireland. The school's legal name is Foyle and Londonderry College. In 1976, two local schools, Foyle College and Londonderry High School, merged und ...
in Ireland.
* Bust of
Frank Holl
Francis Montague Holl (London 4 July 1845 – 31 July 1888 London) was an English painter, specializing in somewhat sentimental paintings with a moment from a narrative situation, often drawing on the trends of social realism and the prob ...
in the Crypt of
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
, London
References
External links
*
Images of works by Boehm in the Paul Mellon Centre Photographic Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boehm, Joseph
1834 births
1890 deaths
19th-century British sculptors
Alumni of the Heatherley School of Fine Art
Artists from Vienna
Austrian sculptors
Austrian male sculptors
Coin designers
Royal Academicians
Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom