Caius Gabriel Cibber
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Caius Gabriel Cibber (1630-1700) was a Danish sculptor, who enjoyed great success in England, and was the father of the actor and author Colley Cibber. He was appointed "carver to the king's closet" by William III.
He was born in the province of Schleswig in Denmark, but later emigrated to England. Many of his works were, or are, on public display in London, including his statue of Charles II (1681), which still stands (rather worn away) in Soho Square, two life-like human statues entitled "Melancholy" and "Raving Madness" which were made for the gates of the 17th century mental hospital, then known as Bedlam (currently Bethlem Royal Hospital) and can currently be seen in their museum (modelli in V&A). He also created the bas reliefs on the base of the Monument to the Great Fire of London; his reliefs at the Royal Exchange have been destroyed.
He worked extensively with the architects Sir Christopher Wren (on St Paul's Cathedral and Hampton Court Palace) and William Talman (on Chatsworth House (1688-91) and the version of Thoresby Hall which was entirely burnt down in 1745).[1]
He produced a number of excellent church monuments, including those to the 7th and 8th Earls of Rutland at Bottesford (Leicestershire) and the extraordinary Sackville monument at Withyam in East Sussex. A Flora in the gardens at Chatsworth has in recent years been returned to the Temple named after her; other large works there include the Sea Horse Fountain.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ The Garden at Chatsworth, Deborah Cavendish Devonshire, p.14-15, 2001, Frances Lincoln Ltd,ISBN 0-7112-1837-4
- ^ The Garden at Chatsworth, pp 14-15
