BUSHNELL, John - b. ~1630 ?, d. 1701 London

English sculptor. He travelled in France and Italy where he executed the huge tomb (1660s) of Alvise Mocenigo in the church of Mendicanti, Venice. Having returned to London, he gained many commissions because of his Baroque style (a novelty in Britain), including a Sir Thomas Gresham for the Royal Exchange (now in the Old Bailey), and he would receive more but for his difficult and unstable temperament (he died insane). His work is extremely uneven in quality, but he is an important figure, for he showed untravelled Englishman for the first time something of the possibilities of Baroque sculpture.

Sir Thomas Gresham

At the end of the 17th century, sculptors like Bushnell were working in in a reasonably attractive if rather a traditional style, which could be regarded as outmoded, if judged by contemporary French or Italian standards.

Bushnell was commissioned to execute the statue of Sir Thomas Gresham by the Royal Exchange.