A George II Irish carved and stained pine relief bust of a lady

A George II Irish carved and stained pine relief bust of a lady, attributed to John Houghton, inscribed to the base 'Vertumayi', 19in (48cm) l, 12.5in (31.6cm) w. John Houghton (fl.1729-1775) a sculptor who worked principally as a wood carver. He was employed as a carver in Edward Lovett Pearce's Parliament House and was paid the sum of £333 8s 3d. See the carved chimneypiece in the Old House of Lords, Parliament House, Dublin with very similar carvings to the above lot.. He also carved the frame on Bindon's portrait of Swift in St. Patrick's Deanery and worked at Carton for the Earl of Kildare. For a further discussion see Irish Furniture, The Knight of Glin and James Peill, pp. 70-79 and figure 82 for the detail of the chimneypiece.