John Deare facts for kids

John Deare (born October 26, 1759, in Liverpool – died August 17, 1798, in Rome) was a talented British sculptor. He worked in the neoclassical style, which means his art was inspired by ancient Greek and Roman art. His nephew, Joseph Deare, also became a sculptor.

Life of a Sculptor

John Deare was born in Liverpool. His father was a jeweller. John started studying at the Royal Academy Schools in 1777. He was very good and won a gold medal in 1780 for a sculpture inspired by the poet Milton.

At the same time, he also learned from a London carver named Thomas Carter. He worked with Carter from 1776 to 1783. After this training, John Deare started his own sculpting business. He even made art for his old teacher and for other famous sculptors like John Bacon.

Some of his early works included large plaster reliefs. A relief is a sculpture where the figures stick out from a flat background. One famous relief was The War of Jupiter and the Titans. It was made for a building called Whitton Park. Other artists, like Joseph Nollekens, really admired Deare's work. Most of his early pieces that still exist today are small ceramic figures made for clocks.

Studying in Rome

In 1785, the Royal Academy gave John Deare money to live and study in Rome for three years. This was a great chance for him. While in Rome, he studied many ancient Greek and Roman sculptures. He visited famous collections, like those at the Villa Albani.

He also became part of an artistic group in Rome. His friends included other artists like Robert Fagan and Samuel Woodforde. For an exhibition back in London, he created a huge plaster relief called The Judgement of Jupiter. It had more than 20 figures and was one of the largest reliefs by a British artist in the 1700s. The Academy thought it was too big, so it wasn't sent to London. However, Sir Richard Worsley ordered a marble version of it in 1788. This marble sculpture is now in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Deare also made a relief called Edward and Eleanor for Sir George Corbett. He was paid a lot of money for a statue of Apollo for Lord Berwick. He also helped important art collectors like Thomas Hope buy artworks from his friend John Flaxman and from the famous Italian sculptor Canova. These collectors also bought some of Deare's own sculptures.

Life After the Pension

After his three years of funding ended, John Deare was so popular in Rome that he decided to stay. He made money by carving copies of ancient sculptures for wealthy British travelers on the Grand Tour. He also fixed old classical sculptures for collectors.

He became well-known for making beautiful chimneypieces, which are decorative parts around a fireplace. One important chimneypiece he made was for the Prince of Wales at Frogmore House.

His Final Days

John Deare married an Italian woman in Rome. He passed away in 1798, leaving behind his wife and children. His friends, like Vincenzo Pacetti, helped sell the contents of his art studio to support his family.

There are different stories about how he died. One story says he fell asleep on a cold block of marble, caught a chill, and died. Another story suggests he was put in a dungeon by a jealous French officer who was interested in his wife. Three days after his death, he was buried in Rome's Protestant Cemetery.

Famous Works

John Deare created many beautiful sculptures during his career. Here are some of his notable pieces:

• The Judgement of Jupiter: This was a very large relief sculpture.
• Edward and Eleanor: The marble version from 1790 is now in a private collection.
• Marine Venus: This marble relief was bought in 1787. It shows influences from ancient and 16th-century art.
• Cupid and Psyche: A marble sculpture from 1791, made for Thomas Hope.
• The Landing of Julius Caesar in Britain: This sculpture (1791–1794) is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
• Portrait bust of John Penn: A bust is a sculpture of a person's head and shoulders. This one is at Eton College.

Copies of Classical Art

John Deare was also skilled at making copies of famous ancient sculptures. Some of these include:

• Apollo Belvedere: A copy commissioned in 1792.
• Faun with a Kid: A copy of a sculpture now in the Prado Museum in Madrid.
• Bust of Ariadne: A copy made around 1789, now in the Capitoline Museum in Rome.