Laurence Sterne

The artist sculpted this subject—author of the celebrated novel "Tristam Shandy"—when Stern visited him on a trip to Rome. Nollekens has emphasized the author's intellect and erudition by displaying him with a bare chest—in the style of an ancient Roman bust—and by rendering his facial expression as one of thoughtful concentration. The initial bust (now in the National Portrait Gallery, London) was so popular that Nollekens created replicas, such as this example.