John Henning, a Scottish born artist, was most famous for his plaster casts after the Parthenon and Phigaleian friezes, which formed part of Lord Elgin’s collection of Greek sculpture first displayed in England from 1808 to invited guests. Henning’s technique employed for reproducing both antique reliefs and Renaissance cartoons involved intaglio carving slate to use as moulds for plaster casting, producing small tablets that were sold in boxes.
The present set were copies of Raphael’s (Italy, 1483-1520) cartoons commissioned by Pope Leo X as designs for tapestries destined for the Sistine Chapel. In the 17th century the cartoons became the property of the royal collection at Hampton Court, and it is probably here Henning was able to refer to them in the early 19th century.
Provenance: reputedly acquired by George Reeve, born 1803, a designer who won a medal at the Birmingham Industrial Exhibition in 1865 for his repousse work, and thence by descent to the present owner.