Mary Thornycroft

Background

The daughter of sculptor John Francis, she was born at Thornham, Norfolk. She studied sculpture under her father, and exhibited at the Royal Academy at the age of twenty-one.

Career

Mary married, in 1840, Thomas Thornycroft, who was a pupil of John Francis and also became a sculptor. They travelled to Italy and lived and worked for a time in Rome. On her return to London she was recommended by Gibson to Queen Victoria, for whom she executed numerous busts and statues, chiefly of the royal children.

In the drawing-room at Osborne House there were nine life-size marble statues of the young princes and princesses modelled by her.

Besides these she executed a number of busts of private individuals, as well as a few ideal statues. Among the latter is her well-known figure of a ‘Skipping Girl’.

She died on 1 February 1895. She gave lessons in sculpting to Princess Louise, one of Victoria"s daughters, who went on to work in her own right.

Hamo Thornycroft took up their profession, while daughters Alyce, Theresa Thornycroft, and Helen Thornycroft were all artists.

John Isaac Thornycroft became a marine engineer

Connections

Friend:

John Gibson