Page:Nollekens and His Times, Volume 2.djvu/116

104 made a most beautiful appearance. One of them was a small copy of the Laocoon in marble, which was bought by the Earl of Lincoln. After the sale, some of the purchasers gave the moulders leave to make casts of what they had bought, so that the students could procure them at a reasonable rate, and study from them in their own apartments.

Vevini, a Figure-maker, then living in St. James's-street, made a fine mould of the Laocoon, the very first cast of which is at present in the possession of Mr. John Taylor, of No. 12, Cirencester-place, who has been already frequently mentioned in this work: he is now in his 89th year, and is styled the "Father of the Painters;" having been a Pupil of Francis Hayman. Scheemakers, for some time, shared the patronage of the great with Roubiliac and Rysbrack; and not many require to be informed that the statue of Shakspeare in Westminster Abbey was carved by Scheemakers from the design of Kent the Architect; but very few persons appear to be aware, that the beautiful little bronze statue of King Edward VI. in the court-yard of St. Thomas's Hospital, is also by the hand of the same Sculptor. For my own part, I never go into the Borough without indulging myself with a sight of that truly elegant production of