The Walker has always been a favourite of mine, visited several times a year whether for education or personal gratification. This semester, we have already ventured down there 3 times, yet still managed to find new favourites and interests each time.
This time round I took a personal detour into the sculpture room. This is a skill that’s always blown my mind, and I love that particular room so much.
‘Tinted Venus’ by John Gibson shows a beautiful iconographical sculpture of a nude Venus, holding her golden apple, whilst the tinted marble humanises the goddess, allowing the viewer to connect with the woman instead of be undermined and look down upon. The temple that encased her was said to be made especially for her, allowing her to be viewed from every angle but kept safe.
One that really caught my eye was Antonio Rossetti’s “Time Is Precious”, 1873, a female figure, sitting and reading. This is a playful allegory of time, as the fall of her hair also compliments the passing of time alongside the chronologicality of reading a book. The statue itself was beautiful (slightly cracked but what can you expect after 150 years), an idealised but unsexualised girl, draped in cloth and intelligent; a perfect balance.
The simple cherubs dotted around the room were similarly beautiful and I enjoyed sketching them out and photographing them in the light coming into the well situated room. The shadows created by the setting sun were so intriguing and made them almost shimmer and come alive, particularly on this cherub whose face is skillfully covered by an almost sheer veil making the face and body underneath looks porous and smooth as though it was moving within the fabric, pushing out and shifting towards the light.
Antonio Rossetti “Secret Love” (Image taken on King Regulette 35mm film camera, inherited from my grandpa)
HXLLISON ART HISTORY 