Physical Energy(sculpture)
Physical Energyis a bronzeequestrian statueby the English artistGeorge Frederic Watts.Watts was principally a painter, but also worked on sculptures from the 1870s.Physical Energywas first cast in 1902, two years before his death, and was intended to be Watts's memorial to "unknown worth". Watts said it was a symbol of "that restless physical impulse to seek the still unachieved in the domain of material things". The original plaster maquette is at theWatts Gallery,and there are four full-size bronze casts: one in London, one in Cape Town, one in Harare and one soon to be sited at Watts Gallery - Artists' Village in Compton, Surrey. Other smaller bronze casts were also made after Watts's death.
Background
[edit]The sculpture is based on Watts's earlier colossal bronze equestrian statue ofHugh Lupus,1stEarl of Chester,commissioned in 1870 by his namesakeHugh Lupus Grosvenor,later 1stDuke of Westminster.The earlier work was completed in 1883-1884 and displayed atEaton Hall, Cheshire.That statue was itself based on equestrian elements of theElgin Marbles.
Watts started work onPhysical Energyin the early 1880s. The original 3.5 tongessogrosso model (made of plaster mixed with glue size and hemp or tow) is at theWatts GalleryatComptonnear Guildford. He was assisted by George Thompson andLouis Deuchars.The sculpture depicts a nude male figure on a rearing horse, set on a rectangular wedge-shaped base; the man's left hand holds the reins, while he shades his eyes from the sun with the right as he looks to the left. In the artist's own words, it is "a symbol of that restless physical impulse to seek the still unachieved in the domain of material things".
Physical Energywas the culmination of Watts's ambition in the field of public sculpture, embodying the artist's belief that access to great art would bring immense benefits to the country at large, Watts conceivedPhysical Energyas an allegory of human vitality and humanity’s ceaseless struggle for betterment.
Watts was reluctant to finalise and cast the work, despite encouragement fromMillaisto have it cast as early as 1886. Watts continued to modify the gesso model. It wasn’t until 1902 that the model was first cast in bronze.
Casts
[edit]The first full-size bronze cast of the sculpture was made at theParlanti Foundryin Fulham in 1902. It was claimed to be the largest sculpture ever cast in bronze in Britain. Watts gave the statue to the British Government.Physical Energywas exhibited in the courtyard atBurlington Housefor theRoyal Academy Summer Exhibitionin 1904, the year of Watts's death. It was originally suggested that the statue be erected at the burial place ofCecil Rhodesin theMatopo HillsinSouthern Rhodesia.Due to logistical impracticalities it was instead installed as part of theRhodes MemorialonDevil's PeakaboveGroote SchuurnearCape Town, South Africa.
A second large cast was made in 1905, designed as a gift to the nation. It was cast atA.B. Burton's Thames Ditton Foundry in London. More refined, the second cast weighs 6 tons, and took eighteen months to create. It was delivered to London'sKensington Gardens,in September 1907, and unveiled at a site overlooking the north-west side of theSerpentine.
A third full-size version ofPhysical Energywas cast in bronze in 1959, from the gesso model used for second cast. It differs slightly: for example, the rein appears on the right, like the first cast, rather than on the left, like the second cast. TheBritish South Africa Companyarranged for the statue to be cast atLeonard Grist'sCorinthian Bronze Companyfoundry in London. It was originally located in front of the High Court building inLusakain Zambia. It was moved to a racecourse on the outskirts of Salisbury, in Southern Rhodesia (now Harare, in Zimbabwe). Since 1981, it has stood in the grounds of the National Archives in Harare.
A fourth full-size bronze was commissioned by the Watts Gallery for the 200th anniversary of Watts's birth, and cast byPangolin Editionsin 2017 using a new mould made from the original gesso model. It was exhibited in the Annenberg Courtyard at theRoyal Academyin 2017-18 as part of their bicentenary celebrations. The sculpture will be permanently installed at Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village, adjacent to the A3.
Several smaller bronze versions were cast posthumously and sold commercially. One was exhibited at theRoyal Academyin 1904. One example by Watts's assistant,Thomas Wrenin 1914, sold byBonhamsfor £40,000 in June 2014. Others in the collection of the Watts Gallery, at theLaing Art Galleryin Newcastle, theHarris Museum and Art Galleryin Preston, theWalker Art Galleryin Liverpool, and theGibberd Galleryin Harlow.
In 1960, at the unveiling of the Lusaka statue,Godfrey Huggins, 1st Viscount Malvernpresented the Queen Mother with a silver replica ofPhysical Energycast from a plaster model made bySydney Harpley.
Other uses
[edit]The model of the statue is used as the logo for Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village. It also features as part ofRhodes University's logo, and the sculpture appears as a crest on its arms. An image ofPhysical Energywas used by theLabour Publishing CompanyLtd in the 1920s. An image of the sculpture was also used as a trade mark for products such asEnergen Rollsin the 1930s.
The sculpture was one of the inspirations forCharles Villiers Stanford's Sixth Symphony, composed in memory of Watts.
References
[edit]- Physical Energy,Kensington Gardens, LondonArchived8 July 2015 at theWayback Machine,Watts Gallery
- The Sculpture CollectionArchived22 February 2015 at theWayback Machine,Watts Gallery
- Physical EnergyStatue, Kensington Gardens,The Royal Parks
- Physical Energyby George Frederic Watts,Victorianweb
- Gigantic plaster horse returns to restored Watts Gallery,The Guardian,21 November 2010
- Physical Energyby George Frederick Watts,Visit Harlow
- A bronze equestrian reduction ofPhysical Energydated 1914,Bonhams, 4 June 2014
- Object in Focus: G.F. Watts,Physical Energygesso grosso model,Watts Gallery
- Physical Energyat the Royal Academy of Arts,Royal Academy of Arts
- Physical Energy,Royal Academy of Arts
