Page:Nollekens and His Times, Volume 2.djvu/123

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111

RYSBRACK.

Roubiliac and Scheemakers's contemporary, John Michael Rysbrack, was born at Brussels, and was the son of a Landscape-painter, by whom there are several truly spirited etchings. He studied under Theodore Balant, a famous Sculptor; came to England in 1720, and resided in Vere-street, Oxford-street, where he had extensive workshops, which his great run of business required. On these premises he died, and was buried in Marylebone church-yard, near the Church, January 11th, 1770. After his decease, there were sales by auction held at his house, in one of which was an immense number of his own drawings mounted with uniform borders executed in bistre; and some of the most excellent of them are still to be found in the portfolios of collectors. I shall now insert a few cotemporary notices respecting some of his works in Sculpture, which have not hitherto been brought together in print, viz.:—

"Mr. Rysbrack carved the monument erected to the memory of Mrs. Oldfield, in the cloisters of Westminster Abbey."—Daily Advertiser March 4th, 1730.

"Sir Isaac Newton's monument (in Westminster Abbey) was designed by Kent and executed by Rysbrack; the scaf-