English, unknown maker, early nineteenth century, mahogany. With legs formed as balusters without bases and brackets at the top of each leg; made for the plaster Sleeping Child by Sir Francis Chantrey (SC32).

This stand entered the Soane collection in 1830 with Sir Francis Chantrey’s plaster model and matches the stand for Thomas Banks’ plaster model of Penelope Boothby (M44.A).

This small sculpture on its stand became the focal point in the small recess off the staircase known as the Tivoli Recess which was converted by Soane in c.1834 into a tiny gallery for contemporary sculpture – perhaps the first in London – a shrine to those he considered the greatest sculptors of his age, his close friends Chantrey, Thomas Banks and John Flaxman as shown the 1835 Description, plate XXXVI.¹ The recess was painted in imitation of giallo antico marble to match the main staircase and contained a large stained glass window by William Collins.

In 2012 this stand and the sculpture Sleeping Child were reinstated in their original positions in the recreated Tivoli Recess as part of Phase 2 of Opening up the Soane.

¹ Exh. cat. Thomas Banks (1735-1805): Britain’s first modern sculptor, Sir John Soane’s Museum, 2005, pp. 10 and 18-19.

SC32, object displayed on this
M44.a, another similar