Charles II

This bust depicts Charles II with his head turned slightly towards the right and the curls of the full bottomed wig falling over the shoulders on to the armour which is ornamented with lion mask pauldrons. The bust terminates in an oval shelf with scrolled edges, at either side a swag of foliage.

It was formerly ascribed to Grinling Gibbons [when exhibited in the 1932 loan exhibition, but when published in the 'Review of the Principal Acquisitions during the Year 1933 it was noted: 'After careful comparison with documented works of that artist however, it seems unlikely that it is actually by his hand, though there is no doubt that it is a distinguished work of his period.'