Roubiliac, Louis François

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Roubiliac, Louis François (c.1705–62). French sculptor. Roubiliac settled in Britain about 1732 and made his reputation with a statue of Handel, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum. He taught at St Martin's Lane Academy, the forerunner of the Royal Academy, and worked as a modeller for the Chelsea china factory. His busts show great vividness and energy, conveying character and age. He is often compared to his rival Rysbrack, whose work was more restrained. There are several Roubiliac busts at Trinity College, Cambridge (including one of Sir Isaac Newton), in the National Portrait Gallery, and in the Royal Academy. Roubiliac also made several monumental sculptures for Westminster abbey, which include another of Handel and the particularly popular and dramatic monument of 1761 to Lady Elizabeth Nightingale.

June Cochrane

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