Michael Foye (also spelled as Michael Foy) was an eighteenth-century Irish sculptor. He is believed to have died in Rome around 1777.

Early career

His name first appeared in Dublin in the year 1765 when he exhibited two works at the Dublin Society of Artists on William Street: "Venus and Cupid" in marble and "Group of Boys" in plaster. In 1768 he presented "Mercury instructing Cupid" and in 1770 "Hercules Resting from his Labours". By 1769, he was working in the studio of John Nost III (nephew of the Dutch sculptor

John Nost John Nost ( Dutch: Jan van Nost) (died 1729) was a Flemish sculptor who worked in England in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Life Originally from Mechelen in what is now Belgium, he moved to England in the second half of the 17th cent ...

) who had come to Dublin in 1750.

Grand tour

In 1772, Foye undertook his grand tour and travelled to Italy arriving in

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

in April. In early 1773, he moved to Rome (living first in Strada dei Greci and then in Via Babuino). In 1773, he was mentioned by the English sculptor Thomas Banks, during Banks' own grand tour, as working on a sculpture of "Apollo del Belvedere" in marble.A Biographical Dictionary of Sculptors in Britain, 1660–1851 – Christopher Hewetson
/ref> In November 1776, the Welsh painter, Thomas Jones, mentioned a joint meeting in the Cafe degli Inglesi between himself, Foye, Thomas Banks,

Christopher Hewetson Christopher Hewetson (c.1737–1798) was a neoclassical sculptor of marble, terracotta and bronze Bust (sculpture), portrait busts. Born in Ireland, he was active in Rome. Biography Hewetson was born in Thomastown, County Kilkenny, Irela ...

and Nathaniel Marchant.

Busts

In 1777, Foye sent "Bust of an Artist" to the Society of Artists in London, which is generally thought to be the bust of

Allan Ramsay Allan Ramsay may refer to: *Allan Ramsay (poet) or Allan Ramsay the Elder (1686–1758), Scottish poet *Allan Ramsay (artist) Allan Ramsay (13 October 171310 August 1784) was a Scottish portrait Painting, painter. Life and career Ramsay w ...

, now held in the

Scottish National Portrait Gallery National Galleries Scotland: Portrait is an art museum on Queen Street, Edinburgh. Portrait holds the national collections of portraits, all of which are of, but not necessarily by, Scots. It also holds the Scottish National Photography Collec ...

. A second bust, originally believed to be of Sir William Hamilton (largely remembered now as the husband of

Emma, Lady Hamilton Dame Emma Hamilton (born Amy Lyon; 26 April 176515 January 1815), known upon moving to London as Emma Hart, and upon marriage as Lady Hamilton, was an English maid, model, dancer and actress. She began her career in London's demi-monde, beco ...

), was later identified as Captain Sir John Lindsay. Lindsay was Ramsay's brother-in-law. His only other known work is a carved relief of the artist James Durno which appeared in the sale of Thomas Banks' possessions in 1805.

References

* Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660–1851, Gunnis * Dictionary of Irish Artists, 1913 {{DEFAULTSORT:Foye, Michael Irish sculptors Irish male sculptors