2. Pretensions to Permanency

In Chapter 2, ‘Pretensions to Permanency: Thorvaldsen’s Bust and Statue of Byron’ (1995), Robert Beevers focuses on Lord Byron’s connection with the world of art, particularly with the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. The chapter explores the background to John Cam Hobhouse’s commissioning of Byron’s bust, revealing Hobhouse’s personal attachment and anticipation of a potential separation from Byron. The choice of Thorvaldsen, a prominent Neo-Classical sculptor, is discussed in the context of Hobhouse’s enthusiasm for classical antiquity. Byron’s relationship with the fine arts is explored, acknowledging his occasional indifference to but deep appreciation of painting and sculpture. The sculptor’s admiration for Byron is highlighted, suggesting a recognition of the poet’s spirit that transcends artistic conventions. Beevers’s narrative describes the journey of the Byron memorial monument, from its creation to a prolonged storage period caused by religious objections to its location in Westminster Abbey. Trinity College emerges as a solution and the chapter concludes with Hobhouse’s reluctant acceptance of the monument’s placement in the Wren Library, considering it a form of exile for Byron in effigy. The pamphlet written by Hobhouse to argue his case is mentioned, emphasizing his deep appreciation for Byron and the symbolic rejection felt in the statue's relocation.