Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Van Nost, John
VAN NOST, JOHN (d. 1780), sculptor, son of a maker of leaden figures for gardens (Redgrave, Dict. of British Artists), was born in Piccadilly, London, early in the eighteenth century. About 1750 he went to Dublin, and worked there for many years as a sculptor. Among his works were a statue of Lord William Blakeney, erected in Sackville Street, but now removed; the equestrian statue of George II, now in Stephen's Green, and some minor sculpture. Redgrave erroneously says that Van Nost executed the statue of King William in College Green. He also did much of the sculpture in Dublin Castle, besides half-length statues of Thomas Prior [q. v.] and Samuel Madden [q. v.], copies of which were engraved by Charles Spooner [q. v.] He executed the statue of ‘Mr. Lawton, ex-mayor of Cork,’ in that city. He appears to have revisited England during 1780, but he died in Mecklenburgh Street, Dublin, at the end of September 1780.
[Pasquin's Artists of Ireland; Whitelaw and Walsh's Hist. of Dublin, vol. ii.; Gilbert's Hist. of Dublin; Dublin Directories, 1750–80.]