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ID #SA1236255
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Bust of John Milton
For sale by The Ark Stores
reserved SA1236255
RESERVED

The Ark Stores

Sellingantiques Verified Since Jun 2016
Browse dealers 52 items
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Id #SA1236255
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Bust of John Milton

19th century
For Sale by The Ark Stores (Reserved for a buyer)
Description

A plaster bust of John Milton 1608-1674 the famous 17th century Poet

With original polychrome paintwork

Some minor losses to paint

19th century

Date of Manufacture

The Ark Stores has dated this Antique John Milton Bust to the 19th Century.

Independent Date Check ID 09653785
Dealer's Item Date19th Century
Sellingantiques Date19th Century
Sellingantiques agingItem 125-190 years old
Test ResultsPassed dating check
Why Sellingantiques dated this piece to THE 19TH CENTURY:
White plaster exposed beneath paint: cast plaster work typical of nineteenth-century decorative busts.
Flaking and fine cracking in the pigments: natural aging across old paint layers.
Hand-painted polychrome finish: decorative portrait figure work of the mid to late nineteenth century.

This is an independent date report produced by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. The process uses the photographs shown on this page. The system is never told the date the dealer has declared. This report shows that the two dates corroborate.

Physical Dimensions
Height
32cm (12.60")
Width
21cm (8.27")
Depth
14cm (5.51")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1236255
Description
A plaster bust of John Milton 1608-1674 the famous 17th century Poet

With original polychrome paintwork

Some minor losses to paint

19th century

Date of Manufacture

The Ark Stores has dated this Antique John Milton Bust to the 19th Century.

Independent Date Report ID 09653785
Dealer's Item Date19th Century
Sellingantiques dating19th Century
Sellingantiques agingItem 125-190 years old
Test ResultsPassed dating check
Why Sellingantiques dated this piece to the 19th Century:
White plaster exposed beneath paint: cast plaster work typical of nineteenth-century decorative busts.
Flaking and fine cracking in the pigments: natural aging across old paint layers.
Hand-painted polychrome finish: decorative portrait figure work of the mid to late nineteenth century.

This is an independent date report produced by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. The process uses the photographs shown on this page. The system is never told the date the dealer has declared. This report shows that the two dates corroborate.

Height
32cm (12.60")
Width
21cm (8.27")
Depth
14cm (5.51")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1236255
The Ark Stores
Sellingantiques verified Since Jun 2016
Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the The Ark Stores Profile Page

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A polychrome painted bust depicting John Milton with long brown hair, a collared shirt with tassels, and a grey socle pedestal base.
1 / 11
Archive I A polychrome painted bust depicting John Milton with long brown hair, a collared shirt with tassels, and a grey socle pedestal base.

Bust of John Milton

Archive II A polychrome painted bust depicting John Milton with long brown hair, a collared shirt with tassels, and a grey socle pedestal base. View II
Archive III A polychrome painted bust depicting John Milton with long brown hair, a collared shirt with tassels, and a grey socle pedestal base. View III
Archive IV A polychrome painted bust depicting John Milton with long brown hair, a collared shirt with tassels, and a grey socle pedestal base. View IV
Archive V A polychrome painted bust depicting John Milton with long brown hair, a collared shirt with tassels, and a grey socle pedestal base. View V
Archive VI A polychrome painted bust depicting John Milton with long brown hair, a collared shirt with tassels, and a grey socle pedestal base. View VI
Archive VII A polychrome painted bust depicting John Milton with long brown hair, a collared shirt with tassels, and a grey socle pedestal base. View VII
Archive VIII A polychrome painted bust depicting John Milton with long brown hair, a collared shirt with tassels, and a grey socle pedestal base. View VIII
Archive IX A polychrome painted bust depicting John Milton with long brown hair, a collared shirt with tassels, and a grey socle pedestal base. View IX
Archive X A polychrome painted bust depicting John Milton with long brown hair, a collared shirt with tassels, and a grey socle pedestal base. View X
Archive XI A polychrome painted bust depicting John Milton with long brown hair, a collared shirt with tassels, and a grey socle pedestal base. View XI
Enlarged Archival View

The Ark Stores
Telephone 01428 641817
Location
Town Car Park
Haslemere
Surrey
GU27 2HG
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/ark
Verified Since Jun 2016
Items For Sale 52
Items Sold 707
The Ark Stores
Verified Since Jun 2016
View Dealer Info
Location: Town Car Park, Haslemere, Surrey, GU27 2HG, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/ark
Verified
Jun 2016
For Sale
52
Sold
707
A polychrome painted bust depicting John Milton with long brown hair, a collared shirt with tassels, and a grey socle pedestal base.
Bust of John Milton
Ref: SA1236255
A polychrome painted bust depicting John Milton with long brown hair, a collared shirt with tassels, and a grey socle pedestal base.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Detail View 3
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Detail View 10
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectSculptures
  • Period19th century
  • StyleGeorgian
  • MaterialPlaster, Polychrome paint
  • ColourMulticoloured
  • MotifsSocle pedestal, Shoulder-length hair, Collared shirt with tassels, Draped mantle
  • SizeH 32 cm (13 in) x W 21 cm (8 in) x D 14 cm (6 in)

This nineteenth-century plaster bust depicts the poet John Milton standing shoulder-length on a grey socle pedestal base. The sculpture wears original polychrome paintwork in shades of green, dark grey, and brown, showing long brown hair, a collared shirt with tassels, and a draped mantle. Visible condition details include minor losses to the paint surface, revealing the white plaster underneath along the shoulders and edges. The bust measures 32 cm high, 21 cm wide, and 14 cm deep, making it a suitable display piece for a bookshelf or mantelpiece in a gentleman's library. It integrates naturally into traditional study spaces and reading rooms as a decorative sculptural accent.

FAQs

Literary portrait busts gained widespread popularity during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, particularly across Britain and Europe. Placed within academic institutions, private libraries, and country houses, these sculptures commemorated influential writers, philosophers, and historical figures to reflect the owners intellectual interests.

Historically, busts were sculpted from marble, cast in bronze, or moulded using plaster and terracotta. Polychrome examples were finished with layers of gesso and mineral-based paints to create lifelike flesh tones and detailed garments.

Authentic pieces exhibit natural paint loss, surface craquelure, and legitimate patination in recessed details rather than uniform artificial distressing. Additionally, older plaster castings feature irregularities, distinct join seams, and evidence of hand-painted pigments underneath later layers.

A figurative bust functions as an anchor piece on a bookshelf, desk, or fireplace mantel. Placing it alongside modern artwork or contemporary lighting creates a balanced contrast between historic craftsmanship and modern minimalism.

Dust polychrome plaster gently using a soft, dry camel-hair brush to prevent lifting loose paint flakes. Water, solvents, and liquid cleaners must be avoided, as moisture dissolves historic gesso and alters original pigments.
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