John Smyth (1776–1840) was an Irish sculptor. The son of sculptor Edward Smyth (1749–1812), John Smyth was trained at the Dublin Society's school, and worked with his father at Montgomery Street (now Foley Street) in Dublin. One of his first public works was a monument to John Ball in

St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin Saint Patrick's Cathedral () in Dublin, Ireland is the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Christ Church Cathedral, also a Church of Ireland cathedral in Dublin, is designated as the local cathedral of ...

. He assisted his father, Edward, with a number of sculptures at Parliament House (now Bank of Ireland), the

King's Inns The Honorable Society of King's Inns () is the "Inn of Court" for the Bar of Ireland. Established in 1541, King's Inns is Ireland's oldest school of law and one of Ireland's significant historical environments. The Benchers of King's Inns aw ...

, and with decorative plaster and stonework at the

Chapel Royal A chapel royal is an establishment in the British and Canadian royal households serving the spiritual needs of the sovereign and the royal family. Historically, the chapel royal was a body of priests and singers that travelled with the monarc ...

Dublin Castle Dublin Castle () is a major Government of Ireland, Irish government complex, conference centre, and tourist attraction. It is located off Dame Street in central Dublin. It is a former motte-and-bailey castle and was chosen for its position at ...

. He also sculpted the statues of Mercury, Fidelity, and Hibernia for the pediment of the

General Post Office, Dublin The General Post Office (GPO; ) is the former headquarters of — the Irish Post Office. It remains its registered office and the principal post office of Dublin He repaired the equestrian statue of William III (William of Orange) in College Green after it was blown up in 1836. Other pieces by John Smyth were sculpted for Dublin's Richmond Bridge (c.1816; now O'Donovan Rossa Bridge), and several public buildings and churches in the capital. In 1818, Smyth was commissioned to produce a bust of

Charles Whitworth, 1st Earl Whitworth Charles Whitworth, 1st Earl Whitworth (29 May 1752 – 13 May 1825), known as Lord Whitworth between 1800 and 1813 and as Viscount Whitworth between 1813 and 1815, was a British diplomat and politician. Early years Whitworth, the eldest of the ...

, then

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the K ...

, which was displayed at the Society of Artists in 1819 alongside a bust of his wife Arabella by Thomas Kirk. A number of his works are held by the

National Gallery of Ireland The National Gallery of Ireland () houses the national collection of Irish and European art. It is located in the centre of Dublin with one entrance on Merrion Square, beside Leinster House, and another on Clare Street, Dublin, Clare Street. It ...

. Like his own father, several of John Smyth's own children become sculptors, as did his grandchildren.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smyth, John 1776 births 1840 deaths Irish sculptors Irish male sculptors