Monday 9 May 2011

Botanic Gardens, Autumn

'Autumn' 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, to replace statues lost after the Garden Palace burnt down. They had been originally located here but in later years were separated and distributed around the gardens. Some lost vital body parts and adornments but Australian sculptor Jacek Luszczyk restored them by recreating missing parts. 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.

22 comments:

  1. Jim, great photo and enjoyed reading the story behind the sculptures.

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  2. I am making a list of iconi...ydney parks, Jim. What do you think should be on it? Not National Patks, but more community/municipal parks like Centennial Park, Bicentennial Park, Auburn Park. Love to hear your ideas ...

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  3. Very suitable for your part of the world now.

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  4. I would love to see the others, Autumn is very beautiful.

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  5. enjoyable, yes!



    Aloha from Waikiki


    Comfort Spiral

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  6. Julie, apart from the obvious Hyde Park, Botanic Gardens and The Domain, I think Sydney Park at Alexandria/St Peters would have to be on the list and probably historic Parramatta Park too.

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  7. Autumn is just delightful - I would love to see Winter, Spring and Summer!

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  8. I can only imagine the beauty of that garden thanks for sharing a glimpse come see me at http://shopannies.blogspot.com

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  9. uncertainhorizon and Dianne, I have some shots of Winter, Spring and Summer but I'll go back at different times of the day to get the best shots. I plan to show them throughout the year.

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  10. I have a really hard time envisioning you with opposite seasons. WE're looking at sweltering summer soon. And you.........cold weather. Well we celebrate our differences.
    V

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  11. Victorian art is as interesting as it is peculiar. I think the Victorians had an interesting and disturbing sense of their own place in time and of their own vulnerability. This is a wonderful sculpture.

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  12. jim there has always been a conspiracy theory about the burning of the Garden Palace, it was used to store the state archives and many believed it was a deliberate blaze to destroy the records that linked many powerful people in NSW to convict ancestry, at a time when such connections were socially unacceptable, me I never believe in conspiracy theories unless they involve dead aliens in silver suits.

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  13. That's interesting, Mark. I've never heard that conspiracy theory before, nor any involving dead aliens in silver suits. :)

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  14. It looks more Bacchanalian than Autumnal - but who cares? It's a GREAT statue!!

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  15. Nice pic and great blog, i like it

    Regards from Madrid

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  16. nice bost.

    Welcome to my blog: http://images-n.blogspot.com
    I hope to be one of those who follow my blog
    Good luck

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  17. What a creative way to depict a most beautiful season.

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  18. I am sure that I remember the old broken statues! Wonderful to hear that they have been revitalised! Adore the grace of oldortthis Autumn statue!

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  19. Interesting story and a bright picture... Good combination !!

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  20. I didn't know they had been repaired ... must go visit them one day. I like going to the gardens when I have time to kill in Sydney.

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  21. Had to sus out this post to work out what your comment on Mark's blog meant!!

    Now ... I heard the theory that the burning of the Garden Palace was done by the owners of terraces along Macquarie Street who were annoyed that the GP blotted out their view of the harbour and their morning sun. My informant did not tell me whether they were wearing silver suits at the time or not.

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