Wax is used as a sculpting material for preliminary models and for works in their own right. It is quick and easy to shape, yet also cheap. Once softened, it is modelled in a similar way to clay, with the composition built up gradually. To enhance the wax, pigment can be added before moulding and pearls or other jewels can be embedded in the surface afterwards. Isaac Gosset came from a family of wax modellers and was said to have been able to produce a startling likeness in just half an hour. He was highly successful, with clients from the royal family and the aristocracy.
