Dominic Winter Auctions
Lot 296
* Nelson (Horatio, 1758-1805). A white marble half bust after Franz Thaller (1759-1817) and Matthias Ranson (active, circa 1800), first half 19th century,a fine half bust modelled as Nelson with his head turned slightly to the left, in naval dress with two large naval medals engraved 'Trafalgar' and 'Nelson' and classical drapery, mounted on a socle, unsigned, 68 cm high, damaged, the nose been restored, there are several chips notably to the edges and the Nelson medal, presented on a wooden pedestal inscribed 'The Immortal Nelson' QTY: (1)NOTE:Following a visit by Nelson to Vienna in 1800, the Austrian sculptor Franz Thaller (1759-1817) was commissioned to carve a bust of Nelson and this bust is the most widely reproduced sculpted image of Nelson. Thaller was assisted by Matthias Ranson who was active circa 1800 but little is known of him. The bust was completed in 1801 and shipped to England, where it was kept at Merton by Lady Hamilton. The original bust is inscribed 'Franz Thaller etMatthias Ranson Vienae Austr. MDCCCI'. It is now displayed in the National Maritime Museum along with a plaster cast of Nelson's face which formed thebasis of the bust. The 'Thaller and Ranson' type was reproduced in different media, often with small anomalies. For further reading see Walker (Richard),The NelsonPortraits, pages 235-236. Other examples have been sold at auction in recent years for example,Sotheby's London, 5 October 2005, lot 75, £45,000Cheffin's Cambridge, 23 November 2023, lot 679, £22,000Duke's Dorchester, 5 Apil 2023, lot 97, £40,000
