Louis François RoubiliacFrench, 1695–1762John Ray
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “John Ray” now? Collection: Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Not on view at present. Checked September 25, 2026.
London, United Kingdom
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the sculpture
This bust of the naturalist John Ray appears to be taken from the marble original by Roubiliac, one of a series of portraits of distinguished members of Trinity College, Cambridge. It appears to be cast from the marble itself and is not an eighteenth century multiple.
Ray (1627-1705) published important works on plants, animals and natural theology and is sometimes referred to as the father of English natural history.
Louis François Roubiliac (1702-1762) was one of the leading sculptors of his generation, and his busts and monuments are among the most important produced in Britain in the first half of the 18th century. He was born in Lyons, and probably trained in Dresden. He was later in Paris, but from 1730 he was based in London, apart from a brief visit to Rome in 1752.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Details
- Accession number
- 1788-1892
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
