America
Design
1864 (designed)
1864 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Drawing showing a group of figures personifying America by John Bell, 1864, for his sculpture for the base of the Albert Memorial designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott (1811-1878) to commemorate Prince Albert. The idea of the commission for the sculpture was to have four groups representing the Continents. Each group was to have four figures, illustrating aspects of relevant countries or peoples, arranged around a representative animal on which is seated a fifth figure, female in every case, which was intended to personify the spirit of the continent. There are sculptural groups representing Africa, Asia, America, and Europe at each corner of the base of the Albert Memorial in Hyde Park, London.
This is one of three drawings which are his first ones by Bell for the Continent of America in the V&A. It shows a sculptural group consisting of a female figure personifying America, holding a scroll inscribed with the names of the States of America in one hand and a sceptre topped by a star in the other, seated on a bison besides which walks a representation of a Native American brave, wearing a feather headdress and carrying a shield. He personifies the United States. Behind him walks a female figure, carrying alpaca on her back, who personifies South America.
This is one of three drawings which are his first ones by Bell for the Continent of America in the V&A. It shows a sculptural group consisting of a female figure personifying America, holding a scroll inscribed with the names of the States of America in one hand and a sceptre topped by a star in the other, seated on a bison besides which walks a representation of a Native American brave, wearing a feather headdress and carrying a shield. He personifies the United States. Behind him walks a female figure, carrying alpaca on her back, who personifies South America.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | America (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Pencil, pen and ink and wash |
| Brief description | Drawing showing a group of figures personifying America by John Bell, 1864, for the south side of his sculpture for the base of the Albert Memorial |
| Physical description | Drawing showing the south side of a sculptural group consisting of a female figure personifying America, holding a scroll inscribed with the names of the States of America in one hand and a sceptre topped by a star in the other, seated on a bison besides which walks a Native American brave, personifying the United States, wearing a feather headdress and carrying a shield, behind him walks a female figure personifying South America carrying a pack of alpaca on her back. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Design |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Purchased with a grant from the HM Commissioners of the Great Exhibition of 1851 |
| Object history | This design is for the sculptural group personifying the continent of America made in marble for one of the four continents for the base of the Albert Memorial in Hyde Park, London. Benedict Read states in 'The Sculpture' in In: Chris Brooks, ed. The Albert Memorial. The Prince Consort National Memorial: its History, Contexts, and Conservation. p. 242 that 'each of the Continents comprises four figures, illustrating aspects of relevant countries or peoples, composed around a representative animal on which is seated a fifth figure - in each case female - intended to typify the spirit of the continent'. |
| Historical context | Richard Barnes's great, great grandmother was John Bell's sister, Jane Bell. Richard Barnes used his copyright under a reproduction of E.545-2008 in his book John Bell, The Sculptor's Life and Works so it is possible that the drawings were in his family's possession before they were sold at Sotheby's. |
| Production | This design is one of the first for the sculptural group of America and was probably made shortly after John Bell accepted the commission in his letter dated '19 May 1864'. RA/VIC/ADDH/2/4/822. Bell's design that he described not long afterwards indicated that the figure personifying the United States '[as one] as was the case in 1861' was female. The figure appears to have remained female from then onwards until the final execution of the sculpture in marble. 1861 was the date of the outbreak of the American Civil War (1861-1865) when eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States. That this design (one of 3) was one of Bell's first is supported by Richard Barnes's comments about them in John Bell. The Sculptor's Life and Works, p. 67. See References tab. He stated that 'in brown wash over pencil lines he prepared his first drawings.' |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Places depicted | |
| Summary | Drawing showing a group of figures personifying America by John Bell, 1864, for his sculpture for the base of the Albert Memorial designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott (1811-1878) to commemorate Prince Albert. The idea of the commission for the sculpture was to have four groups representing the Continents. Each group was to have four figures, illustrating aspects of relevant countries or peoples, arranged around a representative animal on which is seated a fifth figure, female in every case, which was intended to personify the spirit of the continent. There are sculptural groups representing Africa, Asia, America, and Europe at each corner of the base of the Albert Memorial in Hyde Park, London. This is one of three drawings which are his first ones by Bell for the Continent of America in the V&A. It shows a sculptural group consisting of a female figure personifying America, holding a scroll inscribed with the names of the States of America in one hand and a sceptre topped by a star in the other, seated on a bison besides which walks a representation of a Native American brave, wearing a feather headdress and carrying a shield. He personifies the United States. Behind him walks a female figure, carrying alpaca on her back, who personifies South America. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.546-2008 |
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| Record created | July 23, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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