Richard Claude Belt
Born 26 June 1851
Died 17 November 1920
Active: 1869 - 1917
Country of birth and death: England
Sculptor, architectural sculptor
Born in Westminster, London. He was the son of Eliza Belt (born c.1815 in Maidstone, Kent), chandler. Richard worked in the studio of John Henry Foley as an architectural carver between 18 October 1869 and 15 January 1870. He then worked as an assistant to the sculptor and athlete, Charles Bennett Lawes (later Lawes-Wittewronge) (1843-1911) between 1871-5. Lawes and Belt entered into a working partnership which had ended by 1875. During this time Belt established a successful practice as a sculptor of portraits and monumental works, also exhibiting regularly at the Royal Academy. His commissions included a statue to the late Lord Byron, Park Lane and Queen Anne, in St Paul's cathedral.
In 1881 he began a libel action against his former employer Charles Lawes after the latter made allegations about the authorship of Belt's works. In an anonymous article published in the magazine 'Vanity Fair' on 20 August 1881 it was claimed that Belt's works between 1876 and 1881 had been executed by Thomas Brock or Pierre Verheyden. Lawes subsequently repeated the allegations openly, whilst Brock and Verheyden provided details of the works for which they were responsible.
The lengthy trial, which spanned the period January to December 1882, involved prominent society witnesses who had sat for portraits appearing on behalf of Belt and artists, assistants and members of the Royal Academy being called on behalf of Lawes. In late December the jury found in favour of Belt and awarded him £5,000 in damages. Lawes launched an appeal, and after extended deliberations, the damages were reduced to a nominal £500 providing both parties agreed to this decision. Belt accepted the decision but Lawes pursued the action in the Court of Appeal. In March 1884 the court reinstated the original award. Lawes promptly filed for bankruptcy on the grounds of not being able to meet the £5,000 in damages and £5,000 in costs.
Belt also filed for bankruptcy, and was soon caught up in another court case. On 8 March 1886 he was convicted of obtaining money by false pretenses from Sir William Neville Abdy and sentenced to twelve months hard labour. Richard was indicted with his brother Walter Belt but the latter was found not guilty.
Around 1900 Belt retired and lived in Surbiton whilst his wife ran an art paper manufacturing business. He returned to sculpture over the next decade and exhibited a bust of Lord Kitchener at the Royal Academy in 1917.
This account draws on John Sankey's research into Belt v. Lawes. For a more detailed account of the trial and its context see John Sankey, 'The sculptor's ghost – the case of Belt v. Lawes', 'Sculpture Journal', vol 16, no 2, 2007 pp. 84-9; Old Bailey Online Reference Number: t18860308-376: http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=def1-376-18860308&div=t18860308-376#highlight (accessed 20 November 2011); and from a photograph of his memorial stone at Golder's Green Cemetery, London see http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=54695952&PIpi=30491690 (accessed 16 May 2013).
Locations
Address 21 Wood Street Westminster London | View on map
1861 (Circa)
Address 1 St. John Street Westminster London | View on map
1871 (Circa)
Address The Avenue, 76 Fulham Road London | View on map
1873 (Circa)
Address 138 Buckingham Palace Road London | View on map
1875 (Circa)
Address 11 Hugh Street Eccleston Square London SW | View on map
1876 (Circa)
Address 21 Wilton Place London SW | View on map
1878 (Circa) - 1880 (Circa)
Address 2 Cottage Road Knightsbridge London | View on map
1881 (Circa)
Address 6 William Street London | View on map
1881 (Circa) - 1885 (Circa)
Address Parliament Mansions Orchard Street London | View on map
1891 (Circa)
Address Blair Athol Surbiton London | View on map
1901 (Circa)
Address 3 De Vere Mansions Kensington London | View on map
1911 (Circa)
Address 37 De Vere Gardens Kensington London W8 | View on map
1917 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1873 - 1917
Exhibited 12 times, twenty-one works in all (all portraits)
Personal and Professional Connections
Assistant to John Henry Foley
1869 - 1870
Assisted by Thomas Brock
Brock and Belt had met when they were both employed in the studio of John Henry Foley. In 1881, following an anonymous article published in 'Vanity Fair' concerning his employer, Brock alleged that he was responsible for three of Belt's works, busts of Canon Conway and Canon Kingsley and a statuette of Dean Stanley. Belt initiated a libel action against Charles Lawes who had written an open letter to the Lord Mayor of London concerning these allegations. The details of the trial are given in the entry for Richard Belt and are recounted in detail in John Sankey, 'The sculptor's ghost – the case of Belt v. Lawes', 'Sculpture Journal', vol 16, no 2, 2007 pp. 84-9.
Employed Francis (Pierre François) Verheyden
Verheyden worked for Belt in the late 1870s. In 1881, following an anonymous article published in 'Vanity Fair' concerning his employer, Verheyden alleged that he was responsible for at least ten of Belt's works including the memorial to Lord Byron. Belt initiated a libel action against Charles Lawes who had written an open letter to the Lord Mayor of London concerning these allegations. The details of the trial are given in the entry for Richard Belt and are recounted in detail in John Sankey, 'The sculptor's ghost – the case of Belt v. Lawes', 'Sculpture Journal', vol 16, no 2, 2007 pp. 84-9.
Employee of Charles Bennet Lawes-Wittewronge
1871 - 1875
Belt worked for Lawes and the two sculptors also entered a partnership which had ended by 1875. In 1881 an anonymous article published in 'Vanity Fair' made claims against Belt to the effect that he had not been responsible for many of the works attributed to him. Belt initiated a libel action against Charles Lawes who wrote an open letter to the Lord Mayor of London concerning these allegations. The details of the trial are given in the entry for Richard Belt and are recounted in detail in John Sankey, 'The sculptor's ghost – the case of Belt v. Lawes', 'Sculpture Journal', vol 16, no 2, 2007 pp. 84-9.
Descriptions of Practice
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
'Sculptor'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
'Artist Sculptor' and his mother Eliza was '(Living on Son's income)'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
'Sculptor' neither employer nor employed
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
'Retired Sculptor', his wife Georgina (born c.1858 in Gloucester) was an '(Art) Paper Manufacturer' employer and their nephew Sidney David lane (born c.1882 in Gloucestershire) was an 'Asst Manager Art Paper Manuf.r' worker
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
'Sculptor' master working at home and employing two general servants
Sources
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861
2004
Class: RG9; Piece: 47; Folio: 150; Page: 2; GSU roll: 542563
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
2004
Class: RG10; Piece: 118; Folio: 58; Page: 28; GSU roll: 838768
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
2004
Class: RG11; Piece: 100; Folio: 49; Page: 27; GSU roll: 1341022
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
2004
Class: RG12; Piece: 80; Folio 102; Page 49; GSU roll: 6095190
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
2001
Class: RG13; Piece: 668; Folio: 58; Page: 47
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
2009
RG14PN106 RG78PN4 RD2 SD1 ED19 SN73
England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892
2009
Name: Richard Belt
Date of Trial: 8 Mar 1886
Trial Year: 1886
Location of Trial: Middlesex, England
Sentence: Imprisonment
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2007
2007
Name: Richard Belt
Birth Date: abt 1851
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1920
Age at Death: 69
Registration district: Kensington
Inferred County: London
Volume: 1a
Page: 126
The London Gazette
Publication date:
9 February 1886
Issue:
25557
Page:
657 AND
Publication date:
8 March 1887
Issue:
25680
Page:
1269
Citing this record
'Richard Claude Belt', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=ann_1321801927, accessed 21 Mar 2023]
