John Henning (1771-1851)
Encyclopedia
John Henning was a Scottish carpenter who turned to sculpturing. His masterpieces were the one twentieth scale models he created of the Parthenon
and Bassae Frieze
s. These took him twelve years to complete. He failed to gain a copyright on this work and others profited by copying his work.
and became a carpenter like his father. He was noted for his ability as a sculptor when he created cameos of his friends and family. After marrying Catherine Sunter when aged 28 and encouraged by his early cameos he went into business in Glasgow and then Edinburgh attracting clients that included Sir Walter Scott. Josiah Wedgwood was impressed by his work and agreed to champion them for Henning.
In 1811, John and Catherine moved to London where Henning saw the newly arrived Elgin Marbles
in Burlington House
and persuaded Lord Elgin
to allow him to draw and copy them. It was said that a commission from Princess Charlotte
of a portrait medallion inspired Henning to realise that he could use his drawings to create slate moulds that could be used to reproduce the friezes in miniature. Henning also took advantage of his sittings with the Princess to introduce her to more radical reading. This task was to last twelve years although Henning decide to also add the Bassae Frieze to his work and this did not arrive in England until a few years into his work. One miniature version of the Parthenon Frieze was just two inches high, but over twenty four feet long.
By 1820, Henning was ready to sell his work and it was obvious that he had not copied the remains of the friezes, but recreated them. In the case of the Parthenon frieze he had used drawings taken by William Pars
in 1765, the drawings commissioned from Feodor Ivanowitsch by Lord Elgin before they were moved to England and importantly drawings made by Jacques Carrey
. The last drawings were not the most detailed, but importantly they were made thirteen years before the explosion that had damaged the Parthenon in 1687.
One copy of the miniature Parthenon Frieze was sold to William IV for £42 in 1821 but its location is not known. He failed to gain a copyright on this work and others profited by making copies. Very few original copies of these miniatures are known to exist.
In 1827, Henning and his son created sculptures in the style of the Parthenon frieze for a screen erected at Hyde Park Gate in London. The following year, John Jr. confirmed that he would recreate a copy of the Parthenon Frieze for London's Athenaeum Club
. Although only just over half the length of the 524 feet long original this model was at the correct scale and was constructed from Bath stone in agreement with Decimus Burton
, the club's architect.
Henning also made half scale models which he hoped to reproduce for more modest buildings. Henning found that they were very popular but the business was captured across Europe by others who had unauthorised copies of his work. Equally distressing to Henning was the low quality of some of the copies. Because of this Henning became a supporter of the emerging laws on copyright but also was unhappy that his success was going unrewarded.
In 1845, Henning again invested his time based around the friezes. This time he intended to recreate the two friezes as engravings. Trial proofs were made but unfortunately his partner in the enterprise, Mr Freebairn, died before either of the works were completed.
Henning died on the 8 April 1851, two years after his wife. He was buried as a pauper in Finchley
Churchyard.
in 1938. The Athenaeum Club and the screen at Hyde Park are extant. Copies of Hennings work are still being discovered.
Parthenon
The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their virgin patron. Its construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although...
and Bassae Frieze
Bassae Frieze
The Bassae Frieze is the high relief marble sculpture in 23 panels, 31m long by 0.63m high, made to decorate the interior of the cella of the Temple of Apollo Epikourios at Bassae. It was discovered in 1811 by Carl Haller and Charles Cockerell, and excavated the following year by an expedition of...
s. These took him twelve years to complete. He failed to gain a copyright on this work and others profited by copying his work.
Biography
John Henning was born on 2 May 1771 in PaisleyPaisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
and became a carpenter like his father. He was noted for his ability as a sculptor when he created cameos of his friends and family. After marrying Catherine Sunter when aged 28 and encouraged by his early cameos he went into business in Glasgow and then Edinburgh attracting clients that included Sir Walter Scott. Josiah Wedgwood was impressed by his work and agreed to champion them for Henning.
In 1811, John and Catherine moved to London where Henning saw the newly arrived Elgin Marbles
Elgin Marbles
The Parthenon Marbles, forming a part of the collection known as the Elgin Marbles , are a collection of classical Greek marble sculptures , inscriptions and architectural members that originally were part of the Parthenon and other buildings on the Acropolis of Athens...
in Burlington House
Burlington House
Burlington House is a building on Piccadilly in London. It was originally a private Palladian mansion, and was expanded in the mid 19th century after being purchased by the British government...
and persuaded Lord Elgin
Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin
Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin and 11th Earl of Kincardine was a Scottish nobleman and diplomat, known for the removal of marble sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens. Elgin was the second son of Charles Bruce, 5th Earl of Elgin and his wife Martha Whyte...
to allow him to draw and copy them. It was said that a commission from Princess Charlotte
Princess Charlotte
Princess Charlotte may refer to:*Princess Charlotte of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel , wife of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia and mother of Tsar Peter II, Emperor of Russia...
of a portrait medallion inspired Henning to realise that he could use his drawings to create slate moulds that could be used to reproduce the friezes in miniature. Henning also took advantage of his sittings with the Princess to introduce her to more radical reading. This task was to last twelve years although Henning decide to also add the Bassae Frieze to his work and this did not arrive in England until a few years into his work. One miniature version of the Parthenon Frieze was just two inches high, but over twenty four feet long.
By 1820, Henning was ready to sell his work and it was obvious that he had not copied the remains of the friezes, but recreated them. In the case of the Parthenon frieze he had used drawings taken by William Pars
William Pars
William Pars was an English watercolour portrait and landscape painter, draughtsman and illustrator.-Life and works:...
in 1765, the drawings commissioned from Feodor Ivanowitsch by Lord Elgin before they were moved to England and importantly drawings made by Jacques Carrey
Jacques Carrey
Jacques Carrey . French painter and draughtsman. An otherwise little noted and unremarkable artist he is now remembered almost exclusively for the series of drawings he made of the Parthenon, Athens, in 1674. Carrey was part of the embassy of Charles Marie François Olier, marquis de Nointel to...
. The last drawings were not the most detailed, but importantly they were made thirteen years before the explosion that had damaged the Parthenon in 1687.
One copy of the miniature Parthenon Frieze was sold to William IV for £42 in 1821 but its location is not known. He failed to gain a copyright on this work and others profited by making copies. Very few original copies of these miniatures are known to exist.
In 1827, Henning and his son created sculptures in the style of the Parthenon frieze for a screen erected at Hyde Park Gate in London. The following year, John Jr. confirmed that he would recreate a copy of the Parthenon Frieze for London's Athenaeum Club
Athenaeum Club, London
The Athenaeum Club, usually just referred to as the Athenaeum, is a notable London club with its Clubhouse located at 107 Pall Mall, London, England, at the corner of Waterloo Place....
. Although only just over half the length of the 524 feet long original this model was at the correct scale and was constructed from Bath stone in agreement with Decimus Burton
Decimus Burton
Decimus Burton was a prolific English architect and garden designer, He is particularly associated with projects in the classical style in London parks, including buildings at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and London Zoo, and with the layout and architecture of the seaside towns of Fleetwood and...
, the club's architect.
Henning also made half scale models which he hoped to reproduce for more modest buildings. Henning found that they were very popular but the business was captured across Europe by others who had unauthorised copies of his work. Equally distressing to Henning was the low quality of some of the copies. Because of this Henning became a supporter of the emerging laws on copyright but also was unhappy that his success was going unrewarded.
In 1845, Henning again invested his time based around the friezes. This time he intended to recreate the two friezes as engravings. Trial proofs were made but unfortunately his partner in the enterprise, Mr Freebairn, died before either of the works were completed.
Henning died on the 8 April 1851, two years after his wife. He was buried as a pauper in Finchley
Finchley
Finchley is a district in Barnet in north London, England. Finchley is on high ground, about north of Charing Cross. It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, becoming a municipal borough in 1933, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965...
Churchyard.
Legacy
Henning's original slate models were obtained by the British MuseumBritish Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
in 1938. The Athenaeum Club and the screen at Hyde Park are extant. Copies of Hennings work are still being discovered.