Latest News - Jan-Sep 2007
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.
02 August 2007
Watts' Postman's Park Highlighted in The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph today carried a letter from a Julia Wilson of Rainham in Kent, highlighting the presence of Postman's Park in London as a source of moving epitaphs. Her letter reads:
"SIR - For the most moving and thought-provoking epitaphs (Letters, August 1) readers should visit Postman's Park near St Paul's Cathedral. There, an arcade is lined with ceramic tablets recording acts of heroism by ordinary people that cost them their lives. The memorial was the brainchild of the Victorian Painter G. F. Watts."
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.
23 July 2007
Watts Gallery Open Day
Attended by 1000 People
More than 1000 people attended the Watts Gallery Open Day on Sunday 22 July.
Penelope Keith CBE cut the ribbon and was followed up the lane by an eager crowd. They were met by a large number of gazebos (thankfully not needed as we had no rain!) with a wonderful range of activities for all the family. We were particularly delighted with the children’s workshops which were all fully booked and resulted in the creation of a junk horse and rider, modeled on Physical Energy, the sculpture by G F Watts, as well as pottery and a very big drawing.
Whilst the overriding aim of the day was to encourage new people to come and taste the delights we have to offer we were very pleased that we were able to attract many new Friends, volunteers, donations and two offers to ‘Adopt a Watts’, the scheme which aims to conserve many of the paintings in the collection.
Perdita Hunt, Director of Watts Gallery said:
“We would like to thank everyone who came along the Open Day at Watts Gallery. Nearly 1000 people attended on the day which is as many as attended last year when the event was supported by BBC Restoration Village. This is a very encouraging sign that the interest and passion for Watts Gallery continues and will carry us forward into our exciting plans for the future.”