John Edward Carew, Sculptor
(b. about 1785, d. 1868)
Sculptor
From A Dictionary of Irish Artists 1913
Was born at Tramore, near Waterford, about 1785. He was perhaps the son of the sculptor of the tablet in front of the vault of Rebecca Briscoe (d. 1798) in Waterford Cathedral, signed Carew fecit Waterford. He is said to have received some instruction as an artist in Dublin; but while still a young man he went to London, and was an assistant to Sir Richard Westmacott, the sculptor, from 1809 to 1823. During the latter years of his employment he was in receipt of a salary of £800 to £1,000. In 1823 he was invited by Lord Egremont to devote his talents entirely to his service, and he produced for his patron a number of statues, groups and busts for the adornment of Petworth, between 1823 and 1836, and was also employed in restoring sculpture brought from Rome.
For some time he lived at Brighton, but in 1837 was given a house at a nominal rent near Petworth. Besides the work done for Lord Egremont he received several important public commissions, such as the statue of "Sir Richard Whittington" for the City of London, "Henry Grattan," for Westminster Palace, and the bronze bas-relief of "The Battle of Trafalgar" for the base of the Nelson column in Trafalgar Square. He was an exhibitor in the Royal Academy from 1812 to 1848; and he exhibited twice at the Royal Hibernian Academy, sending in 1826 a cast of his "Arethusa," which he presented to the Academy, and in 1827 his "Death of Adonis."
After Lord Egremont's death Carew made a claim on the estate for £50,000, which he contended was due to him for work executed for his late patron. The claim was resisted by the executors, and in the trial of the case at Lewes in March, 1840, Carew was non-suited. As a result he became a bankrupt. In his latter years dimness of sight interfered with his work. He died at his residence, 40 Cambridge Street, Hyde Park, on 30th November, 1868, and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery. He had several children, of whom F. Carew appeared as an exhibitor of sculpture in the Academy in 1849.
Works:—
Edward Cooke, of the Middle Temple. Bust; R.A., 1843.
John Philpot Curran. Statue. R.A., 1817.
Lady Georgina Fane. Bust. R.A., 1846; another in 1848.
George III. Bust. R.A., 1820.
Henry Grattan. Statue. [St. Stephen's Hall, Westminster Palace.
Sir Thomas Gresham. Statue. [Royal Exchange, London.]
William Huskisson. Statue. [Chichester Cathedral.]
Captain Marryat, R.N. Bust. R.A., 1835. Ex. Victorian Exhibition, 1891-2, by Mrs. Augusta Marryat.
Sir H. Myddelton. Statue. [Royal Exchange, London.]
Rt. Hon. George Ponsonby, Lord Chancellor of Ireland, Bust. R.A., 1818.
Dr. Roche. Bust. R.A., 1812; the sculptor's first exhibited work.
General Sir Robert Sale. Bust. R.A., 1846; another in 1848.
Lord John Townshend. Bust. R.A., 1832.
Rev. H. M. Wagner. Bust. R.A., 1875.
Duke of Wellington. Bust. R.A., 1813.
Sir Richard Whittington. Statue. [Royal Exchange, London.]
Colonel Windham, 10th Hussars. Bust. R.A., 1832.
The Rape of Proserpine. R.A., 1813.
A Gladiator and Bear in the Arena. Model in R.A., 1830.
Theseus and the Minotaur. R.A., 1830.
The Good Samaritan. Bas-relief in marble. R.A., 1839.
A Girl trapping a Bird. R.A., 1842.
Adonis. Statue. B.I. 1826; R.H.A., 1827.
Baptism of Christ. Altar-piece. [R.C. Church, St. James' Street, Brighton.]
The Virgin surrounded with cherubs. [R.C. Church, Warwick Street, London.]
Battle of Trafalgar. Bas-relief in Bronze. [Base of Nelson Column, London.]
Vulcan and Venus. [Lord Leconfield, Petworth House.]
Adonis and the Boar. [Lord Leconfield, Petworth House.]
The Sleeping Falconer. R.A., 1843. [Lord Leconfield, Petworth House.]
Arethusa. B.I., 1824. Cast in R.H.A., 1826. [Lord Leconfield, Petworth House.]
Prometheus. [Lord Leconfield, Petworth House.]
The Royal Arms. [Royal Exchange, London.]
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