Lawrence Gahagan Explained

Lawrence Gahagan or Geoghegan (1735 - 1820) was an 18th/19th century Irish-born sculptor. He specialised in small bronze portrait busts.^[1]

Life

Gahagan was born Lawrence Geoghegan in Dublin in 1735 probably into a family of stonemasons. He attended the Dublin Society School and won their "premium" (cash prize) in 1756 for a statuette of Rubens. Around 1757 he left Ireland and sailed to London where he changed his name to Gahagan.^[2]

He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1798 to 1817.

He lived, worked and died in Westminster.

Works

• Bust of Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley (1798)
• Bust of Admiral Horatio Nelson (1798)
• Bust of William Pitt (1800)
• Internal decoration at Castle Howard (1801 to 1811)
• Bust of Nelson (1804) at Bath Art Gallery
• Monument to George Napier at Redland Chapel in Bristol (1804)
• Bust of Bishop of St. Pol de Leon (1809)
• Bust of Dr Hawes (1809)
• Monument to Joseph Baldwin at Cholesbury church (1810)
• Bust of Wellington (1811) at Stratfield Saye
• Bust of Sir Samuel Romilly (1816)
• Group - "George IV presenting Peace to the Goddess of the Earth"
• Composition - "The Death of Spencer Perceval"
• Group - "A Missionary Preaching to the South Sea Islanders"
• Statuette of William IV seated on a Chair
• Statuette of King George III^[3]
• Statuette of Lady Hood
• Statuette of Princess Caraboo
• Statuette of Hannah Moore
• Group - "The Murder of Maria Bagnell by Gillingham the Murderer"
• Bust of Emperor Alexander I of Russia
• Bust of Lord Byron
• Bust of Sir Edward Parry
• Bust of Gabriel Goldney, Mayor of Chippenham
• Bust of Madame Catalini
• Bust of General Blucher
• Bust of the Marquess of Albuquerque
• Bust of Rev Jay
• Bust of Mr Trevor
• Bust of Mr Tottenham

Family

On 7 June 1762 at St Pancras Old Church he married Phoebe Hunter (born 1741). They had at least ten children, several of which (both male and female) became sculptors.

• Sarah Gahagan (died 1866) sculptor
• Lucius Gahagan (born 1866) sculptor in Bath (facade of 9 Quiet Street Bath) and head of David Garrick on the Garrick Head Hotel
• Charles Gahagan (1764–1844) sculptor (assistant to John Flaxman)
• Vincent Gahagan (1776–1831) sculptor
• Sebastian Gahagan (1779–1838) sculptor
• Phoebe Gahagan
• Bunius Gahagan

Vincent's son, Edwin Gahagan (died 1858) was also a sculptor.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Lawrence Gahagan - National Portrait Gallery .
2. Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851 by Rupert Gunnis p.160
3. Web site: Lawrence Gahagan King George III (1738-1820) .