Maternal affection

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Inscribed at back right: ‘E.H. BAILY, R.A./sculp. London/1841’ Baily exhibited a plaster group of a mother and child entitled Affection etc.’ at the Royal Academy in 1823 and subsequently carved several variants in marble. One of these is dated 1837, and is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum: it is thought to be the work called Group, Maternal Affection’ that he exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1837. The Fitzwilliam’s marble is a copy of this, carved four years later. Maternal Affection was so popular that it was also reproduced on a reduced scale in Parian ware, a newly invented type of porcelain. This made the composition available to aspiring middle class collectors.

The son of a ship’s carver, Baily began his career as a modeller in wax. He spent seven years in John Flaxman’s studio, acknowledged as his favourite and most devoted pupil. He came to fame in 1818 with his statue, Eve at the Fountain, but his most famous work is the portrait of Lord Nelson atop Nelson’s Column in Traf. Square.