Holme Cardwell (British, 1813-1895): A monumental carved white marble figure of 'Diana About To Bathe'

Footnotes

Provenance:
Exhibited at the International Exhibition, London 1862, British Division, Class XXXIX, sculpture, models, die-sinking and intaglios, Section B – living artist. Listed as property of artist
See International Exhibition 1862, Official Catalogue, p. 141, Trusscot, son and Simmons, London, (National Art Library)

Formerly in the collection of Lord Charles Forte of Ripley (British-Italian, 1908-2007), entrepreneur, restaurateur, hotelier and founder of the Trust House Forte Hotel Group.
The statue was then installed for the opening of the Ninety Park Lane restaurant in 1982. It was later removed to the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane when the restaurant was purchased by Nico Ladenis and renamed Chez Nico at Ninety in 1992.

Born in Manchester in 1813, Cardwell attended the Royal Academy School in 1834 and was admitted to the Royal Academy on the recommendation of the revered English sculptor Sir Francis Chantrey (1781-1841) where he exhibited several portrait busts between 1837 and 1840 and was awarded a silver medal in 1839. He travelled to Paris to study under the French sculptor and medallist David d'Angers (1788-1856) for three years distinguishing himself at the Académie Royale before moving to Rome where he was to stay on and off for the greater part of his life to continue to study with the hope of accepting lucrative commissions. Whilst residing in the city he also became acquainted with the various ex-patriot British sculptors living and working within the city including the renowned Welsh sculptor Sir John Gibson (1790-1866) and in 1844 a visitor to Cardwell's studio mentioned that the sculptor had just arrived in the city and was working on a group of 'Greyhounds Playing' which showed 'a keen observation of Nature and great power'.

Working in the highly fashionable late neo-classical style Cardwell produced a series of large scale classical marble figures and groups during the 1850's and 60's including a figure of 'Sabrina' in 1855 which is now in the Hove museum and a further figure of 'Venus Victrix' now in the Manchester Art Gallery. Cardwell's figural group of 'Cupid and Pan' was lent by its then owner John Malcolm to the International Exhibition of 1862, London and is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Dating to the same year, 1862, and also exhibited in the same exhibition, Cardwell's statue of Diana is depicted resting by a tree stump about to bathe. Undoubtedly influenced by the great sculptural works of the antique period, Cardwell makes this large scale marble figure previously thought to have been lost, a typical idealised representation of a goddess of the classical world. Dated to 1862 and executed in Rome, the piece is signed 'Holme Cardwell of Manchester' perhaps showing the sculptors pride at his place of birth or possibly the origin of the actual commission.

Related Literature:
R. Gunnis, Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851, The Abbey Library, London, p 78.
D. Bilbey & M. Trusted, British Sculpture 1470-2000 A Concise Catalogue of the Collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, V&A Publications, London, 2002, page 232.
Mapping the Practise and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII online database 2011