What is Physical Energy?
‘…a figure that should suggest man as he ought to be — a part of creation, of cosmos in fact, his great limbs to be akin to the rocks and to the roots, and his head to be as the sun.’
Mary Watts, George Frederic Watts: Annals of an Artist’s Life, 1912
Physical Energy is a monumental equestrian sculpture which George Frederic Watts began to work on in the early 1880s and continued to develop up until his death on 1 July 1904.
The bold and angular plaster model is on display in the Sculpture Gallery. It is made from gesso grosso, a type of plaster that can be modelled when wet and carved when dry. With help from studio assistants, Watts would build up the surface, carve it away, then add more, constantly refining.
George Frederic Watts, Full-Scale Gesso Model for 'Physical Energy' on display in our Sculpture Gallery, early 1880s-1904, gesso grosso
Why was Physical Energy created?
The Marquis of Westminster commissioned George Frederic Watts (1817–1904) to create a portrait capturing the power and legacy of his ancestor Hugh Lupus. The Marquis rejected Watts’ proposed allegorical equestrian sculpture, preferring a traditional style. However, Watts was determined to create his allegorical vision.
Physical Energy signifies human energy striving, not an individual. For over twenty years, Watts refined it. The muscular body symbolising strength of purpose and the horse as a means of moving forward was a reinvention of equestrian sculpture.
The bronze casts
Physical Energy has been cast in bronze on four separate occasions over more than a century. Each cast has different histories and meanings. Some celebrate G F Watts’ artistic achievement. Others are connected to Cecil Rhodes and British imperialism.
Visitors to Watts Gallery can view the fourth bronze in the grounds at Limnerslease, beside the home and studios of G F and Mary Watts.
Made during George Frederic Watts’ lifetime. He agreed to dedicate it as a memorial to Cecil Rhodes, recognising the connections between the symbolism of Physical Energy and Rhodes. According to Mary Watts’ recollections, G F Watts considered the sculpture unfinished when this first cast was created and exhibited at the Royal Academy. Installed in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1912, where it remains today.
G F Watts admired the impact of monumental public sculpture and intended Physical Energy as a gift to the Nation. Watts continued working on the composition after the first cast was made, altering the position of the rider’s back and head. After his death, it was agreed that a second version should be cast and dedicated to his memory. This cast, installed in 1907, is still displayed in Kensington Gardens, London.
Another Rhodes memorial, commissioned by the British South Africa Company. Installed in colonial southern Africa, it was moved twice as independence came to the region. In 1981 it was removed from public view in Zimbabwe, following the country’s independence in 1980 under Black majority rule. It is now held at the National Archives of Zimbabwe.
In 2017 Watts Gallery Trust commissioned a fourth bronze cast to mark the the artist's 200th birthday. The project was made possible thanks to the Art Happens crowdfunding campaign (Art Fund) and the donations of friends, volunteers, donors, Compton residents, neighbours, staff, Trustees, artists, workshop participants and many others.
The bronze was exhibited in the Royal Academy’s Annenberg Courtyard, coinciding with the Academy’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
The fourth bronze is now on display in the grounds of Limnerslease at Watts Gallery.
Why is the fourth bronze of Physical Energy at Watts Gallery?
In 2017, Watts Gallery Trust commissioned this bronze sculpture to mark the 200th anniversary of George Frederic Watts’ birth. This cast was shown at the Royal Academy, London, in the same location as the first cast in 1904.
Two earlier casts of Physical Energy carry associations with Cecil Rhodes and British imperialism. Installing it permanently here required consultation and listening to different perspectives.
At Watts Gallery, we are committed to continuing to engage critically with our collection and to fostering an open space for dialogue and reflection.
Public consultation: What people told us
We asked Watts Gallery supporters, volunteers, visitors, the local community, academics, historians and artists what they thought. They said:
The full consultation report can be read here.
Further information for this object: