Robert William Sievier
Encyclopedia
Robert William Sievier FRS (1794–1865) was a notable English
engraver, sculptor and later inventor of the 19th century.
, before attending the Royal Academy
Schools from 1818. His speciality was portrait engravings, though he also did other works, including subjects from William Etty
(whose portrait he also engraved). By 1823, however, he had abandoned engraving for sculpture
. His sculpture portrait subjects included Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Sir Thomas Lawrence
(the latter work now in the Sir John Soane's Museum). His students included William F Woodington
and Musgrave Watson
.
Sievier exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1822 until 1844, and his output there included several busts, figure subjects, gravestones and monuments. His first studio was in London
's Southampton Row
; in 1837, he relocated to Henrietta Street, near Cavendish Square
, and he had a separate residence in Upper Holloway
.
y there. The house was demolished in 1897.
In Mar 1841 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
He died in Kentish Town, London and is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
engraver, sculptor and later inventor of the 19th century.
Engraver and sculptor
Sievier showed an early talent for drawing, and studied under John Young and Edward ScrivenEdward Scriven
-Life:He was born, according to his own account, at Alcester, Warwickshire, though his name does not appear in the parish register. He was a pupil of Robert Thew, and became known as an engraver of portraits, in the stipple and chalk manner...
, before attending the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
Schools from 1818. His speciality was portrait engravings, though he also did other works, including subjects from William Etty
William Etty
William Etty was an English painter, best known for his paintings of nudes.-Beginnings:In accordance with the wishes of his father, Etty served seven years of apprenticeship to a printer in Hull...
(whose portrait he also engraved). By 1823, however, he had abandoned engraving for sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
. His sculpture portrait subjects included Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Sir Thomas Lawrence
Thomas Lawrence (painter)
Sir Thomas Lawrence RA FRS was a leading English portrait painter and president of the Royal Academy.Lawrence was a child prodigy. He was born in Bristol and began drawing in Devizes, where his father was an innkeeper. At the age of ten, having moved to Bath, he was supporting his family with his...
(the latter work now in the Sir John Soane's Museum). His students included William F Woodington
William F Woodington
William Frederick Woodington was a notable English painter and sculptor of the 19th century.He was born in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire William Frederick Woodington (10 February 1806 - 24 December 1893) was a notable English painter and sculptor of the 19th century.He was born in Sutton...
and Musgrave Watson
Musgrave Watson
Musgrave Lewthwaite Watson was an English sculptor of the early 19th century.Watson was born in Cumberland, being christened on 8 March 1804 at Hawksdale, near Dalston. His parents were prosperous farmers, who also owned an iron-forge...
.
Sievier exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1822 until 1844, and his output there included several busts, figure subjects, gravestones and monuments. His first studio was in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Southampton Row
Southampton Row
Southampton Row is major thoroughfare running northwest-southeast in Bloomsbury, Camden, central London, England. The road is designated as part of the A4200.- Location :To the north, Southampton Row adjoins the southeast corner of Russell Square...
; in 1837, he relocated to Henrietta Street, near Cavendish Square
Cavendish Square
Cavendish Square is a public square in the West End of London, very close to Oxford Circus, where the two main shopping thoroughfares of Oxford Street and Regent Street meet. It is located at the eastern end of Wigmore Street, which connects it to Portman Square, part of the Portman Estate, to its...
, and he had a separate residence in Upper Holloway
Upper Holloway
Upper Holloway is a district in the London Borough of Islington, London, centred around the A1 Holloway Road.-Overview:The name has fallen out of common use and the area is generally regarded as being a part of Archway or Holloway. The use of 'Upper Holloway' is most often used for Upper Holloway...
.
Other works
- statue of Charles DibdinCharles DibdinCharles Dibdin was a British musician, dramatist, novelist, actor and songwriter. The son of a parish clerk, he was born in Southampton on or before 4 March 1745, and was the youngest of a family of 18....
, at Greenwich - statue of Field Marshal William Harcourt, 3rd Earl HarcourtWilliam Harcourt, 3rd Earl HarcourtField Marshal William Harcourt, 3rd Earl Harcourt, of Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, GCB was a British nobleman and soldier. He was the younger son of Simon Harcourt, 1st Earl Harcourt.-Seven Years War:...
(St Andrew's, ClewerClewerClewer is an ecclesiastical parish and region of Windsor making up three wards of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the English county of Berkshire.-History:...
, and St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle) - a bust of Silvester in the Old BaileyOld BaileyThe Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
- a bust/monument to Sir George Paul (1746–1820), prison reformer and county administrator - in the south aisle of Gloucester CathedralGloucester CathedralGloucester Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the river. It originated in 678 or 679 with the foundation of an abbey dedicated to Saint Peter .-Foundations:The foundations of the present...
- Portrait bust of Judge Robert DallasRobert DallasSir Robert Dallas , PC, SL KC was an English judge, of a Scottish family.Robert Charles Dallas was born at Kingston, Jamaica in 1756. Dallas and his brother George were educated first at James Elphinstone's school in Kensington, and then in Geneva, by the pastor Chauvet. He entered Lincoln's Inn...
(1756–1824) - produced in 1822 - a pediment decorated with urns and a sculpture of Flora in Coade stone, along the Central Avenue of Covent GardenCovent GardenCovent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
Market Hall - Statuette of Captain Thomas Coram, Foundling Hospital, London
- figure of Edward JennerEdward JennerEdward Anthony Jenner was an English scientist who studied his natural surroundings in Berkeley, Gloucestershire...
(d. 1823), discoverer of smallpoxSmallpoxSmallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
vaccinationVaccinationVaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate the immune system of an individual to develop adaptive immunity to a disease. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by many pathogens...
, set on a pedestal beside the west door of Gloucester Cathedral. - chimney pieces at Chatsworth HouseChatsworth HouseChatsworth House is a stately home in North Derbyshire, England, northeast of Bakewell and west of Chesterfield . It is the seat of the Duke of Devonshire, and has been home to his family, the Cavendish family, since Bess of Hardwick settled at Chatsworth in 1549.Standing on the east bank of the...
, DerbyshireDerbyshireDerbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
(executed with Richard Westmacott (the younger)Richard Westmacott (the younger)Richard Westmacott - also sometimes described as Richard Westmacott III - was a prominent English sculptor of the early- and mid-19th century.Born in London, he was the son of Sir Richard Westmacott , and followed closely in his father's...
, c.1840) - a monument to himself in Kensal Green CemeteryKensal Green CemeteryKensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in Kensal Green, in the west of London, England. It was immortalised in the lines of G. K. Chesterton's poem The Rolling English Road from his book The Flying Inn: "For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen; Before we go to Paradise by way of...
(Sievier had been a member of the Cemetery's board).
Inventor
In 1836, Sievier patented a process for rubberising fabrics and formed a ‘patent’ company (the London Caoutchouc Company - caoutchouc being the original name for India rubber). The company became large-scale manufacturers of elastic driving bands for machinery, rope for mines, waterproof cloths and garments, and waterproof canvas, as well the first rubber-insulated wire. His interests in manufacturing took over from the early 1840s onwards. Sievier's factory was situated close to his home, the Old Manor House, in Upper Holloway, at the south corner of Red Cap Lane (later Elthorne Road). Sievier also carried out experiments in electrical telegraphElectrical telegraph
An electrical telegraph is a telegraph that uses electrical signals, usually conveyed via telecommunication lines or radio. The electromagnetic telegraph is a device for human-to-human transmission of coded text messages....
y there. The house was demolished in 1897.
In Mar 1841 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
He died in Kentish Town, London and is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in Kensal Green, in the west of London, England. It was immortalised in the lines of G. K. Chesterton's poem The Rolling English Road from his book The Flying Inn: "For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen; Before we go to Paradise by way of...