Bronze busts
Angela Conner (1935-present)
Bronze busts
Angela Conner is a British sculptor and in her early career was a paid apprentice carver to Dame Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975).
Angela was a close friend of Andrew Cavendish, the 11th Duke of Devonshire. They met in 1964 when she was just beginning her career as a sculptor, after being introduced by her brother -in- law and the playwright, John Osborne. The first bronze portrait head the 11th Duke bought from her in 1971 was of Sir Roy Strong, a writer, broadcaster and Director of the National Portrait Gallery. The collection at Chatsworth includes portrait busts of various public figures, a full list of which can be seen below;
- Lady Emma Tennant
- Harold Macmillan
- Sir Tom Stoppard
- Lord Rothschild
- Sir Roy Strong
- Sir Patrick Leigh-Fermor
- Sir John Betjeman
- Andrew, 11th Duke of Devonshire
- Deborah, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire
- HM The Queen
- HRH The Prince of Wales
- Self-Portrait
- Lucian Freud
- The Earl of Burlington, 1976
In 2011, the busts were installed together in the garden where they can be seen today.
A display of Angela Conner's other bronze busts can be found at the Monnington Court and the National Portrait Gallery, London.
