| TITLE
| Lord Byron (after John Evan Thomas) |
| CREATOR | Unknown |
| DATE | Before 1840 |
| DIMENSIONS | 29 x 18 x 9 in. |
| ORIGINAL FORMAT | Sculpture |
| MEDIUM | Plaster |
| PHYSICAL NOTE | This plaster sculpture is one of the 16 that sit atop the bookshelves in the library’s main hall. |
| DONOR | Gift of James Phalen |
| DATE OF ACCESSION | 1840 |
| LOCATION | Providence Athenæum: Main Library |
This bust of the poet Lord George Gordon Byron [1788-1824] is one of sixteen that circle the Athenæum’s main hall. Ten of the busts, including this one, were donated by James Phalen in 1840. Phalen, a Providence resident, was a managing contractor for U.S. lotteries. In 1838, Phalen’s Exchange and Lottery Office was located on North Main Street, very close to the newly opened Athenæum.
Born in London, Byron was both a leading Romantic poet and a member of the House of Lords. He is best known for his ability to write in many styles and genres, particularly satire and verse narrative. Despite his literary accomplishments, Byron’s life was plagued with scandal, and in 1816 disgrace and debt led him to leave England. He traveled extensively across Europe and lived in Italy for seven years before fighting as a revolutionary in the Greek War of Independence. Byron’s major works include Don Juan and Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage.
This work is modeled on the bust of Byron by John Evan Thomas [1810-1873]. The Welsh sculptor studied in London with Francis Leggatt Chantrey, the leading sculptor of the Regency Period, and regularly showed his portrait busts at the Royal Academy. Unlike most of the other Phalen busts, Byron’s would have been created shortly after the subject’s death, as he died only 16 years before the bust was donated.