John Cheere

John Cheere was an English sculptor, born in London. The younger brother of the sculptor Sir Henry Cheere, he was originally apprenticed as a haberdasher from 1725 to 1732.

He was born in Clapham the son of Sarah and John Cheere. Around 1722 he joined his brother Henry Cheere in the sculpture yard of John Nost and when Henry set up his own yard around 1730, John joined him as a partner. However, in 1739 John returned to Nost's yard which had been unused or underused since Nost's death in 1729. John bought the yard and a number of lead moulds for casting lead statues (which were normally painted in those days).

He is now mainly remembered as a creator of lead statues standing in the gardens of stately homes. Some of these (other than the casting) logically may be the artistic work of Nost rather than Cheere. These kinds of sculptures were popular for the summer houses of the 18th century's aristocracy.

Some were reproductions of classical Roman or Greek sculptures, but there was also a demand for statues depicting simple, pastoral themes.

Several of the sculptures from Queluz had not been on public view since 1967, and have been restored by Rupert Harris Conservation, in London, and returned to Portugal in May 2009. This restoration was in part made possible by the World Monuments Fund Britain.

The Medici lions at Stowe House have been attributed to Cheere.

He died in 1787 and was buried in Clapham with his first wife.

Text courtesy of Wikipedia, 2023