CHANTREY, SIR FRANCIS LEGATT English sculptor, was born on April 7, 1781, at Norton, near Shef field. After receiving lessons in carving and painting, Chantrey went to try his fortune in Dublin and Edinburgh, and finally (1802) in London. He exhibited pictures at the Academy for some years from 1804, but from 1807 onwards devoted himself mainly to sculpture. His first imaginative work in sculpture was the model of the head of Satan, which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1808. He afterwards executed for Greenwich hospital four colossal busts of the admirals Duncan, Howe, Vincent and Nelson; and the next bust which he executed, that of Horne Tooke, pro cured him commissions to the extent of 112,000. He received many honours, was elected R.A. in 1818, and received a knight hood in 1835. He died suddenly on Nov. 25, 1841.
His principal works are the statues of Washington in the State House at Boston, U.S.A. ; of George III. in the Guildhall, London; of George IV. at Brighton; of Pitt in Hanover Square, London; of James Watt in Westminster Abbey ; of Canning in Liverpool; of Lord President Blair and Lord Melville in Edinburgh. Of his equestrian statues the most famous are those of Sir Thomas Munro in Calcutta and the duke of Wellington in front of the London Exchange. But the finest of Chantrey's works are his busts and his delineations of children. The figures of two children asleep in each other's arms, which form a monumental design in Lichfield cathedral, have always been admired for beauty, sim plicity and grace. Allan Cunningham and Weekes were his chief assistants, and were indeed the active executants of many works that pass under Chantrey's name. See A. J. Raymond, Life and work of Sir Francis Chantrey ; for his will see CHANTREY