Details of Sculptor

Surname

Abbott

Alternative Surname

First Name

George

Initial of Surname

A

Year of Birth/Baptism

1803

Flourished

Year of Death

1883

Biographical Details

He showed regularly with the major exhibiting societies over a period of 30 years, though his entire corpus appears to have disappeared. Abbott was born in London on 18 July 1803 and showed at the Royal Academy in 1829 from 38 Frith Street, Soho. He joined the Academy Schools on the recommendation of the engraver Benjamin Wyon in 1839, giving his address as 61 Poland Street. He changed his London address frequently, dying at 27 Lupus Street, Pimlico, on 21 June 1883. His wife, Eliza Frances, is mentioned in the census records of 1881 and in his will. There appear to have been no children.
He carved a number of portrait busts of family members and private clients, but found commercial success with his representations of national figures. His bronze cabinet busts of the Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel were replicated in large numbers (15, 17). In 1862 he was responsible for small seated models of the Duke of Wellington and Prince Albert, translated by Copeland to parianware (2, 4). The image of Prince Albert was judged ‘good as a likeness, and graceful as a figure’ (AJ, 1862, 211). His Alexander the Great crossing the Granicus was shown at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and again at the British Institution, where it was priced at £25 (3). He used the British Institution exhibitions to market groups or reliefs of children (34, 35).
His will, proved on 18 July 1883, valued his personal estate at £297 13s, but it was re-sworn in August 1892, when the value had risen to £7,162 4s 10d. A sculptor, John Adrian Raemakers, of whom nothing is currently known, of 22 Bloomfield Terrace, Pimlico, was one of the executors.

Literary References: 1881 census records; Graves 1875, 1; Graves I, 1905-6, 1; Gunnis 1968, 13
Archival References: RA admissions, 1839
Will: PPR, fol 570