HUGIJENOT ARTISTS DESIGNERS AND CRAYPSNEN IN GREAT ...

83.
Anne Protin at the Knightsbridge Chapel on November 13th, 17k2, two
years before he stood godfather to Sophie Roubiliac. Anne Protin's sister
Suaanriah married Francis Deachamps, and Sprimont's relationship with
his brother-in-law's family was evidently very close, for when he died
in 1777, he was buried in the Deschamps family vault in Petersham
Churchyard .
Roubiliac's contemporary, George Vertue noted that although
Roubiliac was said 'to be born at Lyons in France... he went to Liege
where he learnt his art' There is no further evidence to substantiate
this statement, but there remains a certain confusion as to where
Roubiliac trained. It is tempting to suggest that Roubiliac and Sprimont
knew each other abroad, before they both settled in this country.
Perhaps Roubiliac was responsible for encouraging Sprimont to come to
England.
Sophie Roubiliac's other godparent was her own mother, Catherine,
Roubiliac's first wife. Their marriage allegation indicates that
Catherine's maiden name was Helot, she was also of Huguenot descent,
and both parties are described as being of the parish of St. Martin
Orgar. This was an anglican church in St. Martin's Lane in the City
of London, which also served as a meeting place for a Huguenot
congregation from 17O1.
Roubiliac's association with Sprimont has led to speculation on
the sculptors involvemant with the Chelsea Porcelain manufactory0 It is
most probable that Roubiliac was prepared to supply Sprimont with
plaster models, and on at least one occasion it is known that he did so.
A Chelsea porcelain version of Roubiliac's terracotta portrait of
William Hogarth's dog, Trump, survives in the Victoria and. Albert
Museum. Although the piece is unmarked it is dateable to about 17k7-50
on grounds of paste and glaze.
In this context it is interesting to note that Roubiliac studied
under Baithasar Permoser (1651-1732) in Dresden. Permoser is known to
have worked on a smaller scale in ivory, producing small figures of
the seasons, which may well have been copied in Dresden porcelain,
thus setting an example which Roubiliac may well have followed.9
Tradition states that when Roubiliac arrived in London, he
worked initially for Thomas Carber (d.1757) who specialized in
chimney-pieces, and then for Henry Cheere (17 03-1781 ) before setting
up on his own. Roubiliac's earliest signed and dated work in this