Sir Francis Leggatt Chantrey

Sir Francis Chantrey was the most celebrated British sculptor of the early nineteenth century, whose portrait busts of royalty, statesmen, and literary figures defined the official image of Regency and early Victorian Britain. Thomas Phillips's 1818 portrait presents Chantrey with the assurance of a man at the height of his powers, whose lucrative practice and considerable wealth set him apart from most artists. Chantrey's bequest to the Royal Academy — the Chantrey Bequest — eventually funded the nation's most significant collection of British art. Phillips captured a sculptor whose commercial success and professional standing were exceptional.

Phillips presents the sculptor with warm informality appropriate to their shared professional world. The portrait conveys Chantrey's robust personality and creative energy through a direct, unpretentious composition.