Thornycroft, Mary, 1809-1895

Mary Francis Thornycroft was a prolific English sculptor of the 19th century. Born the third daughter of the four children of accomplished sculptor, John Francis, and his wife, Mary, she married one of her father's students, Thomas Thornycroft, on February 29, 1840. Training alongside her father's male students, she was determined to follow him in sculpturing as a career. Learning early to purchase materials and use marketing skills, she was able to have an intelligent conversation with the fellow students as well as aristocratic clientele.

Her first piece was a bust of her father, which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1835. Eventually, she exhibited at the Royal Academy 33 times during her career. This time period was the dawn of women becoming recognized in the art world along with the business world. By being a woman, she was limited in her subjects as she could not wisely travel alone as a male sculptor could. Her subjects were mainly infants and children. She and her husband traveled to Rome in 1843 to purchased more affordable marble and gain European clientele. During the trip, she gave premature birth to her second child, a son named John Isaac.

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