Details of Sculptor

Surname

Theed

Alternative Surname

First Name

William I

Initial of Surname

T

Year of Birth/Baptism

1764

Flourished

Year of Death

1817

Biographical Details

He was a respected sculptor, a Royal Academician and a designer of ceramics and silver, who spent much of his career working for Josiah Wedgwood and then Rundle and Bridge. Few of his works are known today. He was born in 1764, the son of a wig-maker in Wych Street (Farington III, 719), an area of notorious mediaeval alleyways off Strand, London where Aldwych now stands. Theed entered the RA Schools in 1786 and began his career as a painter of portraits and classical subjects, exhibiting a canvas portrait of a gentleman at the Academy in 1789.
In 1790 he travelled to Florence with John Frearson, a friend and fellow painter. He returned to England briefly, but in January 1791 he was in Genoa and by February he had rejoined Frearson in Rome. Theed was neither happy nor successful in Rome: in 1792 he wrote to his father, ‘you will imagine I have taken up my residence here for life – but be assured that this is not the case for every day increases my detestation of the people and the place; and were it not for the beauties in art which exist here I believe I should settle my concerns in ten minutes and be off’ (Theed Letters, 18 July 1792, cited by Ingamells 1997, 934). He chose an unfortunate time to be in the city, for, as he later told Farington, living in Rome had become expensive and the Napoleonic Wars had reduced the number of English travellers visiting the city and commissioning art (Farington III, 719). The landscape painter, William Sandby RA, felt that the visit had nonetheless benefited Theed, for in his account of the history of the Royal Academy he observed that Theed was inspired to take up sculpture by the classical works he saw in Rome. He also struck up a friendship with John Flaxman RA. In 1795 Theed travelled to Naples, where, Sandby records, he married a French woman, Frances Rougeot. He was one of the group of young artists in Rome who signed a letter to Flaxman in January 1796, thanking him for interceding on their behalf with the Treasury to facilitate the import of their study collections of casts, prints and other artifacts into England, without paying the customary taxes. In July 1796 he was in Venice and he may then have spent time travelling in France and Germany, before returning to London by December 1796.
Theed showed a painting of Venus and Cupids at the RA in 1797, giving his address as 44 Long Acre, Covent Garden. The following year he exhibited a sketch of Abraham offering Isaac and a portrait of a woman and child, which Farington condemned as ‘wretched performances’ (Farington III, 996).
In 1799 he applied to work as a modeller for Wedgwood at the Etruria factory at Hanley, Staffs. His future employers were clearly cautious about entering into a fixed contract, for the younger Josiah Wedgwood wrote to Theed ‘it appears very desirable that we should know each other better before we bind ourselves to one another for three years. You will be better able to understand what are our wants and expectations, and we should have a probability of their being fulfilled’ (Wedgwood Papers E11-9411, 26 December 1799). Theed responded by offering to make and send a number of models to show his capabilities (Wedgwood Papers E11-9412). The models evidently found satisfaction for in 1800 he worked on ornamental details for Wedgwood in London, and by May 1801 he was in Etruria. It is not clear how long he worked for Wedgwood and little is known about the models he produced. In 1803 he advertised his intention to give drawing lessons in Newcastle-under-Lyme (Staffordshire Advertiser, 10 and 17 Dec, 1803) and by the time his son, William Theed II, was born in 1804, the family were living nearby at Trentham. They may have returned to London soon after, for in 1805 Theed exhibited a wax model (6) at the RA, giving his address as 11 Royal Hill, Greenwich. This was later realised in bronze. He maintained some connections with Wedgwood and in 1811 modelled a portrait medallion of Thomas Byerley (10), a partner in the firm.
In London Theed found employment with Rundell and Bridge, making models for presentation plate. Farington later recorded a conversation with Theed: ‘He spoke of the vast concerns of Rundle and Bridge, Silversmiths, with whom He is concerned in business He making models to be executed in Gold and Silver. He mentioned some inconvenience which He suffered from their intruding their opinions in matters of taste and design, & sd. He could always go on better if he had access to the Noblemen or Gentlemen who gave them the Commissions and were easily led to adopt his opinions’ (Farington XII, 4292). It may have been intended that Theed should prepare the model for the Shield of Achilles for Rundell and Bridge to a design by Flaxman. The silversmiths wrote to William Hayley, the poet and an associate of Flaxman, ‘we trust that Mr Theed under the occasional inspection, which you have been kind enough to promise, will be able to execute this exquisite design’ (Hayley Letters, fol 98, 29 Oct 1810). It is now thought that the model for the shield was eventually executed by William Pitts. Sandby relates that Theed remained with the firm for the remainder of his life and that his employers provided him with a house and a handsome salary (Sandby II 1862, 383).
Theed was elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1811, after apparently canvassing for votes. He called on Farington, who was an influential member of the RA’s Council, and invited him to his studio in Dean Street, Soho on several occasions. Theed’s supporters included Flaxman and Sir Richard Westmacott RA, but J C F Rossi considered Theed’s works ‘ingenious but incorrect in execution’ and thought that there were other sculptors who would make better Associates (Farington XI 3984). Two years later, after further assiduous canvassing, Theed was elected an Academician. His diploma work was a Bacchanalian group in bronze (7).
In 1817 he exhibited the relief of Charity for the monument to Thomas Westfaling at the RA (3). This has been described as one of the finest works of sculpture of the period (Penny 1977 (1), 221 n 62). Later that year he died, aged 53. Sandby says that he left ‘a small fortune’ to pay for the education of his three children. His widow applied to the RA for a pension and was granted £50, but she died soon after (Sandby II 1862, 383).
EH
Literary References: Farington, passim; Sandby II 1862, 382-3; DNB, LVI 1898, 108; Gunnis 1968, 385-6; Haggar 1975, 22-9; Penny 1992, 65; Ingamells 1997, 934
Additional Manuscript Sources: Theed Letters
Will: PROB 11/1601
Collections of Drawings: Album of drawings connected with Rundle and Bridge, VAM, P&D E.70-124-1964, some perhaps by Theed