Charles Summers (1825-1878), Attributed, patinated bronze…
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Charles Summers (1825-1878), attributed, patinated bronze plaque depicting John King the only survivor of the famous & tragic Burke & Wills expedition which left Victoria in 1860. Summers was Melbournes leading sculptor during the mid 19th century & was commissioned to build the Burke & Wills monument in Melbourne which was cast by him at his foundry. This panel is most likely part of the original submission to the Burke & Wills Memorial commission which was rejected on the grounds of not being neo-classical enough as it depicts King alone & exhausted in an Aboriginal mia mia. Housed in a finely finished one piece red gum frame with polished cedar back as you would expect when submitting to a committee. Plaque 26 x 21.5 cm, frame 40.5 x 35.5 cm

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  • Bronze - An alloy of copper and tin, traditionally in the proportions of about 9 parts of copper to 1 part of tin.

    The discovery of bronze in Western Asia in the 4th century enabled people to create metal objects which were superior to those previoulsy possible because of its strength and hardness, and it has been used throughout the world for weapons, coins, tools, statuary and other decorative items.

    It is very fluid in a molten state, and its hardness, strength when set, and non-corrosive properties makes it most suitable for casting sculpture.
  • Neo Classical - The period or style, known as "neo-classical", was based on Greek and Roman designs and motifs, and is usually associated with the influence of the four Adam brothers, but principally Robert Adam, the second oldest of the brothers, who were architects and designers, active in the latter half ot the 18th century (1760s to 1790s).

    Born in Scotland in 1728, Robert Adam spent time in Italy studying and his designs are influenced by the finds made during the excavation of Pompei.

    When he returned to England he became the Court Architect to George III (1738-1820).

    In turn, designs by Adam then influenced Hepplewhite.

    Neo-classical ornamentation is characterised by use of classical urns, palmettes, mythical creatures such as the sphinx and griffin, ram's heads, swags, scrolling foliage, and use of the Greek key pattern.
  • Attributed - A cataloguing term where the item in the opinion of the cataloguers, is a of the period of the artist, craftsman or designer, and which probably in whole or part is the work of that person.

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