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| Model Study for a figure of St. George The beginnings of "the dragon" can be seen around the wooden base. SIr Alfred GIlbert, 1895 The Victoria & Albert Museum |
The “New Sculpture” movement of the late Nineteenth Century called for a focus on naturalistic forms and urged sculptors to experiment with new media. Perhaps the most eager of those sculptors who supported the movement was Sir Alfred Gilbert who seems to have had a fascination with the theme of St. George and the Dragon.
This model was made of wax and plasticine as a suggestion for a sculpture group of St. George and the Dragon which was to surmount the silver Rose-water Ewer and Dish which was presented to King George V (while still Duke of York) upon his marriage to Princess May of Teck (later Queen mary) in 1896. We’ll be taking a look at the Rose-water set later I nthe week.
The figures mated to the finished Rose-water set don’t exactly match these earlier models and studies, so, we can see that Gilbert altered the sculptures considerably. A perfectionist, Gilbert (1854-1934), was also known as a medallist, goldsmith and draftsman. He took these commissions quite seriously and strove to be a fitting representative for the “New Sculpture” Movement.
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