William Hackwood
Illustration — William Hackwood, c. 1820 • Illustration — Portrait medallion of Josiah Wedgwood, modelled by William Hackwood in 1782-1783 • Illustration — Am I Not a Man and a Brother? William Hackwood (c.
William Hackwood

Daderot · Public domain
- Born
- 1757
- Died
- 1839
- Nationality
- Kingdom of Great Britain · United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
- Occupation
- sculptor · painter · modeler
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
Illustration — William Hackwood, c. 1820 • Illustration — Portrait medallion of Josiah Wedgwood, modelled by William Hackwood in 1782-1783 • Illustration — Am I Not a Man and a Brother? William Hackwood (c.
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Note VALÉORINE
William Hackwood (1757–1839) was a British and British modeler, painter and sculptor. Works by the modeler are held at British Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art and National Gallery of Victoria, among others.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 02 October 2026
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q19662836 · wikipedia · William Hackwood
In this article
Identity
Identity
1757–1839) was a modeller for Wedgwood from 1769 until 1832. He began work in the Etruria factory as an "ingenious boy", in Josiah Wedgwood's phrase, where he was ".. Of the greatest value and consequence in finishing fine small work." In time, he became head of ornamental art for the firm. He modelled many of Wedgwood's 18th-century portrait medallions, including those of Wedgwood himself, George III, and Queen Charlotte. His portraits of David Garrick and Shakespeare were signed but most were not. His work for the 18th-century abolitionist movement, Am I Not a Man and a Brother (circa 1787), perhaps to a design by Wedgwood himself, was widely distributed by the anti-slavery movement. A surviving contract between Josiah Wedgwood and William Hackwood, dated November 1777, specifies that Hackwood's basic wage was to be £1 11s 6d. Per week and that his house was to be rent-free. Additional payments were made on a per-piece basis.
William Hackwood is recorded as a citizen of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Recorded with the occupation wax modeler.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1757
William Hackwood was born on 1 January 1757.
1839
William Hackwood died on 1 January 1839.
Recognition and collections
Where the work is held
Recognition and collections
Paul Getty Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art and Yale Center for British Art.
Documents and archives
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “William Hackwood”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q19662836: William Hackwood
General reference · Wikidata
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Sculpture
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