EDWARD A. FOLEY (1814-1874) Portrait Bust of a...
EDWARD A. FOLEY (1814-1874)
Portrait Bust of a Young Girl
White statuary marble, 50cm high
Signed and inscribed 'London 1859'
Born in Dublin, the son of Jesse Foley, a native of Winchester, he was the elder brother of John Henry Foley RA, RHA.
Edward showed a talent for modelling and received instruction from his step-grandfather Benjamin Schrowder (c.1757-1826). He had come to Dublin to do sculpture in the new Custom House and assisted Edward Smyth (1749-1812) in the carving of the key-stones, emblematic of the Irish rivers. Smyth, who was a close neighbour, later took the thirteen year old Edward as an apprentice. Schrowder had married Foley’s grandmother and he lived and had his studio in the same house on Montgomery Street as the Foleys lived in. Around this time Edward became a pupil in the Royal Dublin Society’s School.
Foley was unable to finish his apprenticeship as Smyth was unable to provide him with work, so he resolved to take his chances in London. After some time, he was engaged by William Behnes as an assistant. Soon Foley had achieved a reputation in his own right and began to exhibit at the Royal Academy in 1834 and continued to exhibit there regularly until 1873. Strickland describes his non-portrait works as “graceful ideal works” of which the present bust is an example. He died tragically at the age of 60.
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EDWARD A. FOLEY (1814-1874)
Portrait Bust of a Young Girl
White statuary marble, 50cm high
Signed and inscribed 'London 1859'
Born in Dublin, the son of Jesse Foley, a native of Winchester, he was the elder brother of John Henry Foley RA, RHA.
Edward showed a talent for modelling and received instruction from his step-grandfather Benjamin Schrowder (c.1757-1826). He had come to Dublin to do sculpture in the new Custom House and assisted Edward Smyth (1749-1812) in the carving of the key-stones, emblematic of the Irish rivers. Smyth, who was a close neighbour, later took the thirteen year old Edward as an apprentice. Schrowder had married Foley’s grandmother and he lived and had his studio in the same house on Montgomery Street as the Foleys lived in. Around this time Edward became a pupil in the Royal Dublin Society’s School.
Foley was unable to finish his apprenticeship as Smyth was unable to provide him with work, so he resolved to take his chances in London. After some time, he was engaged by William Behnes as an assistant. Soon Foley had achieved a reputation in his own right and began to exhibit at the Royal Academy in 1834 and continued to exhibit there regularly until 1873. Strickland describes his non-portrait works as “graceful ideal works” of which the present bust is an example. He died tragically at the age of 60.
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Time, Location
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