Isaac Henry Gosset (1713–1799) was an 18th-century sculptor and wax-modeller.
Life
He was born in St Helier on the Isle of Jersey on 2 May 1713, the sixth son of Jean Gosset.BIFMO: Isaac Gosset His parents had fled from Normandy around 1700 after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. These incomers were known as Huguenots. He was sent to London to train with his elder brother Gideon Gosset under their paternal uncle, Matthew Gosset (1683-1744), a wax-modeller and frame-carver, and member of the Spalding Society. The Gosset company supplied frames to William Hogarth and Thomas Gainsborough.National Portrait Gallery: Isaac Gosset The wax used was of his own recipe and was highly praised in his field.Gentlemans Magazine, 1799, p.1088
He exhibited at the Society of Arts (which linked to the Incorporated Society of Artists) and Free Society from 1760 to 1778. Josiah Wedgwood also contracted him as a modeller to produce cameos. Henry Hoare was a huge fan of his works and collected a substantial number from 1753 to 1755 which were (and are) displayed at Stourhead.Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851 by Rupert Gunnis, p.175
Horace Walpole also collected his work, which he displayed at Strawberry Hill. However, the greatest accolade is the collection held at Windsor Castle and displayed in the library purchased by King George III around 1765 to 1770.ODNB: Isaac Gosset (restricted access)
He died in Kensington on 28 November 1799 and is buried in Old Marylebone Cemetery.Findagrave.com
Many of his works are held by the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Works
Benjamin Hoadly (1756) Stourhead Charles Townshend (1756) NPG Henry Seymour Conway (1757) NPG James Wolfe (1759) George Edwards (1763) King George III and Queen Charlotte (1776) Richard Hurd Bishop of Worcester (dnk) Lord Thurlow The Duke of York Dr Harris David Garrick General Wolfe Gideon Gosset Duke of Sussex Prince Regent Henry Pelham George Grenville Duke of Grafton Lord Bathurst Robert Lowth, Bishop of London (c.1778) Lord Maynard Richard Trevor, Bishop of Durham Francis Hutcheson Earl of Mansfield Mrs Delany (1776) George Selwyn General Henry Conway Thomas Townshend Lord Camden Sir Jeffery Amherst Frederick, Prince of Wales - Stourhead Lady Mary Coke Stourhead Charles Townshend Stourhead -moved to NPG Miss Conyers (1763) Miss Palmer (1763) Duke of Newcastle 4th Earl of Bristol at Ickworth Park General Maclean (1779) at Buxted Park Robert Carteret, 3rd Earl Granville at Bowood Countess of Shelburne (wife of the Prime Minister) at Bowood Charles Yorke at Hartlebury Castle Richard Hurd, Bishop of Worcester at Hartlebury Castle Prince Octavius at Hartlebury Castle Fisher Littleton at Hartlebury Castle Lord Mansfield at Hartlebury Castle Ralph Allen at Hartlebury Castle George, Prince of Wales WC Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick WC Edward, Duke of York WC Frederick, Prince of Wales WC Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha WC
Family
He was married to Françoise Buisett (also a Huguenot) in Soho in 1737. They were parents to six children.Findagrave.com
Artistic recognition
Gosset was portrayed by Thomas Gainsborough, probably due to their business connection.National Portrait Gallery
Gallery
References