. Ireland in London. , John Henry Foley. Neither pen norpencil could adequately describe this magnificentgroup. It is the admiration and wonder of allvisitors to this noble memorial. The vast Con- 80 Ireland in London. tinent of Asia 13 represented by a kneeling ele-phant, bearing on its back a half-veiled figure,and having around it, in different attitudes, theHindoo, the Chinaman, the Persian, and theTartar. Each of the faces of these human figuresia so full of expression that they actually seemto live and move, and each face is characteristicof its nationality. The elephant, too, is splen-d


. Ireland in London. , John Henry Foley. Neither pen norpencil could adequately describe this magnificentgroup. It is the admiration and wonder of allvisitors to this noble memorial. The vast Con- 80 Ireland in London. tinent of Asia 13 represented by a kneeling ele-phant, bearing on its back a half-veiled figure,and having around it, in different attitudes, theHindoo, the Chinaman, the Persian, and theTartar. Each of the faces of these human figuresia so full of expression that they actually seemto live and move, and each face is characteristicof its nationality. The elephant, too, is splen-didly carved, and altogether the group is im-measurably superior to most public sculpture inEngland. It is impossible, in presence of this sub-lime work, to do more than admire in of the multitude of visitors who gaze at thiswork every day in the year know that its sculp-tor was one of the priceless gifts Ireland has be-stowed on England, and that he has helpedto refute the charge so often made in the past. LADY BLESSINGTON. by Continental nations, that Britain producesfew good artists. Under the canopy of the cen-tral structure is the seated figure of the late PrinceConsort. This work is also by Foley, the commis-sion to execute the work being given to him whenthe first sculptor failed to send in a good artist whom Foley succeeded was the emi-nent Italian, Baron Marochetti, who has executedother work* which are highly esteemed. Theatatue, which ia of immense size, is said to belife-like in iu resemblance to its subject, but, sad to say, this fine work of Foley has been spoiltthrough the superlatively bad taste of those , places, the beautiful white marble beingcovered over with gold paint from head to foot!This outrageous act of vandalism has been uni-versally condemned, but it was apparently thewish of the perpetrator to make the whole affair asgorgeous and as loud as possible. Luckily forthe sculptors peace of mind, he died before thisbarbarism w


Size: 1054px × 2371px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookidirelandinlon, bookyear1889