A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Damer, Anne Seymour

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4120258A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography — Damer, Anne Seymour

DAMER, ANNE SEYMOUR,

Only child of Field-marshal Conway, was born in 1748. Almost in childhood, she imbibed a love of literature, and became highly accomplished. An accidental conversation with Hume, respecting some plaster casts, turned her attention to sculpture, and she took lessons from Ceracchi and Bacon, and studied in Italy. She was also fond of dramatic amusements, and was an excellent amateur actress. She died May 28th., 1808. The productions of her chisel are numerous and do her honour. Among them is a bust of Nelson in Guildhall, two colossal heads on Henley bridge, and a statue in marble, of George the Third, in the Edinburgh Register office. It is not so much the excellence of her works of art that entitles this lady to admiration, as that a person of her rank, wealth, and beauty, should give up society, in a great measure, to devote herself to so arduous an occupation as that of sculpture. She was a warm-hearted politician, and exerted all her influence, which was not trifling, in favour of Fox.