Physical Energy
Physical Energy, Kensington Gardens, London
“Physical Energy – the fulfilment of his desire to make a “monument to unknown worth”. An extraordinary aspiration to make a material equivalent to something as abstract as value. But this is Watts’s bravery –aware of arts limitations but also of its aspirations : a constant tension within his life.”
Antony Gormley, 2007
G. F. Watts’ colossal Physical Energy is his most ambitious sculpture, known through the original plaster model at Watts Gallery, Compton and three bronze casts in Cape Town, London and Harare.
Where to find Physical Energy in London
Kensington Gardens
Exhibition Rd, Westminster, London W2 3
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Where to find Physical Energy Cape Town, South Africa
Table Mountain
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
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Where to find Physical Energy, Harare, Zimbabwe
exact location to be confirmed
G. F. Watts, Physical Energy, Sculpture & Site
Stephanie Brown
Hardback, 60 pages
Illustrated 9 full colour plates and 25 black and white images
G. F. Watts’ colossal Physical Energy is his most ambitious sculpture, known through the original plaster model at Watts Gallery, Compton and three bronze casts in Cape Town, London and Harare. Stephanie Brown examines the less familiar origins of this iconic work in Watts’ equestrian bronze Hugh Lupus and explores how Physical Energy relates to its three very different locations.
The ways in which site influences the meaning of the sculpture is explored in relation to physical features, orientation and presentation and the effects of ideological and cultural change. The continuing interest in Physical Energy, a design originally conceived in 1870, is traced to the present day through its ongoing reproduction in statuettes and its emblematic value as a logo or trademark.
£10.00 Click here to order a copy now
ARCHIVE
September 2007
Physical Energy Celebration Party
On a beautiful September evening, over 180 guests gathered at the Pavilion next to the Serpentine Gallery to celebrate one hundred years since the siting of Physical Energy in Kensington Gardens. The Duke of Gloucester unveiled a new plaque which refers to the model being at Watts Gallery, and the Deputy Mayor of London, and the Mayor of Godalming were present to support the event. Later in the evening, Antony Gormley described Watts as a modern artist, who moved sculpture from the memorial into the contemporary.
The celebratory event was greatly enhanced by the participation of two mounted police and four dancers from Surrey Community Dance. We are grateful to Julia Peyton Jones, Director of the Serpentine Gallery for hosting our visit, and to the Friends of the Royal Parks. We also thank Adam Prideaux from Blackwall Green for sponsoring the evening and to Pattie Boyd and Cherry Gillespie for hosting the party.
25 July 2007 Celebrated Sculptures Undergo X-Ray
A team of expert radiographers are at work in Watts Gallery, Compton this week to investigate the condition of George Frederic Watts’s most celebrated monumental sculptures, Physical Energy and Tennyson. A giant x-ray machine has been temporarily installed at the Gallery, to take a look inside the vast original models from which the famous bronzes were cast.
Commenting on the project, Watts Gallery’s Curator, Mark Bills, said: “These models are an extremely important part of the Watts Gallery collection and are in desperate need of conservation. This sophisticated technology will enable us to gain a more accurate idea of the condition of each model and the subsequent level of repair work required.”
He continues, “It has been estimated that the conservation cost of Physical Energy alone could be as much as £250,000 and it is vital that this model, which has been hailed as one of the finest examples of Victorian equestrian sculpture, is restored. Watts Gallery must raise £2million by Spring 2008 in order to unlock the Heritage Lottery Fund grant that will enable us to restore the Gallery building and conserve the entire collection, safeguarding both for future generations.
The fundraising task is mammoth, and we are so very grateful to the local community for their on-going support.” "We can see the surface, but an X-ray allows us to see deep inside the sculpture itself and learn how such a mammoth sculpture was constructed. They are essentially models from which moulds were taken and which required them to be cut into pieces, so it is important for us to know how secure they were made when they were re-assembled and whether they can be moved during restoration."
During the coming months, Watts Gallery is planning for both the conservation of the collection and restoration of the Gallery building, with the aim of beginning the restoration project in August 2008.
