Thursday 7 July 2011

Botanic Gardens, Winter

'Winter' is a Victorian era sculpture located in the Royal Botanic Gardens. It is one of the 'Four Seasons' statues that adorn the Palace Gardens Steps. They were shipped from Italy in 1883 from the studio of Charles Francis Summers, an Australian-born sculptor living in Rome. The statues were originally located here but then were separated and distributed around the gardens where some lost vital body parts and adornments. Australian sculptor Jacek Luszczyk restored them by recreating the missing parts and the restored statues were unveiled in their original location in 2010. 'Spring' and 'Summer' are at the top of the steps, with 'Autumn' and 'Winter' at the bottom.

13 comments:

  1. Was this taken in your winter? Love these old scultures.

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  2. Jim, I took this shot two days ago and it is our winter right now.

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  3. I don't like winter at all, but I must admit that the gardens are still looking lovely. And a person can always buy a hot chocolate in the Botanic Gardens tea shop :)

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  4. I have read here and in other blogs about statues either broken up or sent to "Siberia" before returning to the original locations. I hope this means that cities are becoming more respectful of their artistic heritage.

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  5. Ah! "Winter is just delightful" I remember you featured one of these statues before.

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  6. I just found your wonderful blog. Yours photos are very interesting and beautiful.
    Greetings from Finland

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  7. Great story, new to me.
    Love the camellia.

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  8. He doesn't suggest Winter to me. I wonder what makes him Winter.

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  9. Dianne, I featured 'Autumn' in Autumn and now I'm featuring 'Winter' in Winter. :)There's a link from this post to the other one from that name.

    Joan, I guess he's supposed to represent 'Old Man Winter'. The four seasons appear progressively older from Spring to Winter.

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  10. I think he looks great Jim, and so pleased they managed to fix his 'bits'. I will definitely be looking for all these when I come over.

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  11. Great shot Jim and enjoyed reading about the history that goes with this scupture.

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