Richard James Wyatt (1795-1850), the son of the sculptor Edward Wyatt, first trained in England under J. C. F. Rossi and at the Royal Academy. Having met Canova in London shortly after 1818 and been promised an apprenticeship with the celebrated master, Wyatt arrived in Rome in 1821 and established himself in Canova's studio. He was devoted to his master and remained in his studio until Canova's death. Having worked briefly for Thorwaldsen, Wyatt set up independently, built up a reputation for himself, and eventually became one of the most sought-after sculptors in Rome. He returned to England only once in his lifetime (in order to fulfill a commission from Queen Victoria, in 1841), and worked tirelessly creating classicizing sculptures for an international clientèle.
Although it is not possible to identify the present bust from documentary sources with certainty, Wyatt is known to have carved a number of busts, and it is possible that this work is the "bust in marble of a lady" listed as having been exhibited by Wyatt at the Royal Academy in 1832. Certainly she represents a fine example of Wyatt's serene, classical female figures. With her finely carved features, inclined head, and delicate circlet of flowers, the present bust is reminiscent of Ino, in Wyatt's group "Ino and Bacchus", formerly among the Grittelton Marbles. In this work, however, the pointed chin and long slender neck of the figure emphasise her rather more youthful beauty.