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John Bushnell ( 1630 - 1701 )  Category ( Sculptors ) [suggest a correction]
 

John Bushnell was a seventeenth-century English sculptor, best known for his work in the Baroque style. Bushnell was born in London, to a family with no background in the arts. His father was a plumber, but agreed for his son, who showed early ability in carving and drawing, to engage in study of the arts. Bushnell began his study of sculpture under Thomas Burman, but abandoned his apprenticeship and fled to Italy when his master attempted to coerce him into marrying a servant. His stay in Italy proved to be fortuitous, as he was heavily influenced by elements of the Baroque, a style that followed the high Renaissance in Europe and features ornate, bold design and an emphasis on dynamism and movement. It is a style that is highly adaptable to sculpture, and while in Italy Bushnell assisted in the execution of a monument to Alvise Mocenigo.

When he returned to England he began to receive and accept commissions. One of his first efforts -- a statue of Sir Thomas Gresham -- was produced shortly after he returned to his homeland. He had a difficult, argumentive personality, which turned away many prospective clients and resulted in Bushnell's eventual bankruptcy. Another difficulty under which he labored was his inability to appropriately capture the dynamism and delicacy of one of his major inspirations, Bernini, that resulted in his creation of a number of awkward works that one critic has termed "ridiculous." Without careful attention, Baroque can appear overblown and even absurd. Bushnell was unable to strike a perfect balance needed in the execution of Baroque style.

Among his work that came closest to the mark are funeral monuments for churches and Westminster Abbey. He married and had at least two children. Upon his death in 1701, his widow, Mary, and their children continued to live in the family home, which was a half-finished house near Hyde Park, in London. A number of his works, left in progress at his death, remained on the property and became the objects of vandals and the curious. Despite his reputation for an abrasive personality, Bushnell was nonetheless still regarded highly enough to be included in a nineteenth-century portrait featuring the world's greatest sculptures. The imaginary portrait, entitled "Frieze of Parnassus," is now in the Albert Memorial in London.


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Title :Biography
Description : Biography of BUSHNELL, John (c. 1630-1701) in the Web Gallery of Art, a searchable image collection and database of European painting and sculpture (1100-1850)
 
 
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