The Hop Queen

The Hop Queen, by Joseph Durham, 1873.

A beautiful female marble bust, portraying the hop queen, by the British artist, Joseph Durham.

Durham was a talented, naturalistic sculptor, he received much praise for the work of his early years, but his reputation and fortunes declined sharply in later life, a fact openly attributed to the influence of alcohol.
He was born in London and apprenticed to John Francis before moving on to the studio of E H Baily. In 1835 he began to exhibit regularly at the Royal Academy, showing 128 pieces during his lifetime. His early works were principally busts and portrait medallions, many of now-forgotten sitters. It was one of his busts, a portrait of the Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind, that helped make his name in royal circles and with the public.

One of Durham’s first major commissions came in 1858 when he won the commission for the memorial to be erected in London’s Hyde Park to commemorate the Great Exhibition of 1851.

Size.

44h x 18w x 15d, base 14 diam cm

This model is also available on a smaller socle (base)