Details of Sculptor

Surname

Banks

Alternative Surname

First Name

Charles

Initial of Surname

B

Year of Birth/Baptism

c1745

Flourished

Year of Death

1792

Biographical Details

He was the youngest son of William and Mary Banks and the brother of Thomas Banks. According to his niece, Lavinia Forster, Banks received most of his early instruction from Thomas. By 1764 he was a pupil of L A Holm, and a year later he was working for a Mr Powell of Oxford Road. In 1764 he was awarded a premium of 3 guineas from the Society of Arts (10) and in 1765 a 15 guinea premium (11). Three further prizes followed by 1768 (2, 6, 7). In October 1769 he entered the Royal Academy Schools. He must have been a promising student, since he was awarded a silver medal in 1771 (12) and a gold for a group in 1774 (3). On the latter occasion he also submitted a sketch (perhaps a drawing) of Pyramus and Thisbe.
Banks first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1775 (3), giving his address as ‘At Mr Taylor’s, Shug Lane, near Haymarket’ (Graves I, 1905-6, 104). He continued to exhibit intermittently over the following 17 years, on each occasion from a different address. In 1783 he resided at 89 Queen Anne Street East, in 1784 at 18 Little Castle Street, Oxford Market, in 1787 at 4 Upper Marylebone Street, and in the year of his death in Portland Place.
In a letter to Allan Cunningham, published in 1863, Mrs Forster gave details of her family history. Of her uncle she wrote that ‘he died young, and was not, I believe, very industrious, therefore nothing remains of his talents in his profession’ (Builder 1863, 4). Gunnis noted that the description of an early death was hardly accurate, for Banks must have been in his late forties when he died.
MGS
Literary References: Graves I, 1905-6, 104; Bell 1938, 94-5; Hutchinson 1960-2, 134; Gunnis 1968, 37; Pyke 1973, 9
Archival References: Archives, Soc of A; RA premium list