Humphrey Hopper

Humphrey Hopper (1767–1844) was an English sculptor and stonemason. He was given the government commission for the memorial in St Paul's Cathedral to General Andrew Hay.[1]

Memorial to Maj Gen Andrew Hay at St Paul's Cathedral
Memorial to Admiral Spry in St Anthony's church in Roseland

Life

He was born in Wolsingham in County Durham in 1765 the son of Humprey and Margaret Hopper.[2] He moved to 55 Paddington Street in London in 1799.[3]

Hopper studied in the Royal Academy Schools during his thirties, from 1801, already having exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1799. He gained the siver meda there in 1802 and the gold medal there in 1803, for an original group of The Death of Meleager.[1][4]

In 1807 Hay was a competitor for the Pitt and Nelson memorials in the London Guildhall.[4] He developed a line of plaster figures designed to hold lamps, working with architects who designed niches for them, such as Lewis Wyatt. He lived in the Marylebone area of London, settling in Wigmore Street.[1]

Hopper died on 27 May 1844 at 13 Wigmore Street, off Cavendish Square in Marylebone, London.[1] He is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery.[5]

Works
Memorial to Philip Hunt in the Church of St Michael, Aylsham, by Hopper

Hopper executed some classical figures, but in later life concentrated on work as a monumental mason, including memorial busts. and monuments.[4][6] Monuments included those to:

The public monument to Major-General Hay in St Paul's Cathedral was criticised, in particular by George Lewis Smyth (1800–1853) who objected to the nakedness of the figure of Hercules poised to catch the falling Hay. From 1815 Hopper exhibited a series of busts at the Royal Academy, showing for the last time there in 1834.[4][6]

Notes
  1. Kenworthy-Browne, John. "Hopper, Humphrey". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/13762. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. https://buckschurches.uk/churches/person.php?personid=30&type=S
  3. http://www.speel.me.uk/sculpt/hopper.htm
  4. Lee, Sidney, ed. (1891). "Hopper, Humphrey" . Dictionary of National Biography. 27. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  5. https://www.npg.org.uk/research/programmes/british-bronze-founders-and-plaster-figure-makers-1800-1980-1/british-bronze-founders-and-plaster-figure-makers-1800-1980-h
  6. Gunnis, Rupert (1968). Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660–1851 (Revised ed.). p. 209.
Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Lee, Sidney, ed. (1891). "Hopper, Humphrey". Dictionary of National Biography. 27. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

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