Ellen Shenton (c1828-1859) was an English sculptor who exhibited Byronic, biblical, and Shakespearian subjects at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

in the 1850s. Ellen Maria Nicholson Shenton was baptised in 1828, the daughter of Henry Shenton, an engraver, and the sister of Henry Chawner Shenton and William Kernot Shenton. All three children became sculptors whose work was exhibited at the

. The family lived in

Kentish Town Kentish Town is an area of northwest London, England, in the London Borough of Camden, immediately north of Camden Town, close to Hampstead Heath. Kentish Town likely derives its name from Ken-ditch or Caen-ditch, meaning the "bed of a waterw ...

, London, before moving to the

Regent's Park Regent's Park (officially The Regent's Park) is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the London Borough of Camden, Borough of Camden (and historical ...

area. She was active from 1850 until her death in 1859. The ''London Evening Standard'' picked out her piece ''Medora'' for praise in their review of the 1851 Royal Academy show. Her statuette ''Parasina'' (1852) was described as having "elegance" in ''

The Literary Gazette ''The Literary Gazette'' was a British literary magazine, established in London in 1817 with its full title being ''The Literary Gazette, and Journal of Belles Lettres, Arts, Sciences''. Sometimes it appeared with the caption title, "London Lit ...

'' and ''Journal of the Belles Lettres, Arts, Sciences, &c''. Her work ''The Greek mother, after having rescued her child from the eagle's nest, bearing it down on the rocks'' was described as "clever" by ''The Athenaeum'', who also suggested her work over the preceding years was notable. Her piece ''The Light of the Harem'' (1853) was chosen for the

Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibit ...

in New York. It has been speculated that she contributed at least one figure for the

Coalport Coalport is a village in Shropshire, England. It is located on the River Severn in the Ironbridge Gorge, a mile downstream of Ironbridge. It lies predominantly on the north bank of the river; on the other side is Jackfield. It forms part of ...

porcelain manufactured by John Rose and Company.

Selected works

* Medora (1850) * Hagar and Ishmael (1851) * Parasina (1852) * Sybil (1852) * The Greek mother, after having rescued her child from the eagle's nest, bearing it down on the rocks (1853) * The Light of the Harem (1853) * By the waters of Bablyon, we sat down and wept (1858) * Cordelia (1859)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shenton, Ellen 1820s births 1859 deaths 19th-century English sculptors English sculptors English women sculptors