THE PROPOSED QUEEN’S STATUE

New Zealand Mail, 17 September 1902, Page 51

THE PROPOSED QUEEN’S STATUE

Mr T. Kennedy Macdonald writes:— Inc Hon. T. W. Hislop, in his notes headed “Advance New Zealand,” refers among other matters to tho proposed Queen’s statue. Apart altogether from the merits o-f tho case he submits, it is right that, some expression of public opinion should be given as to the model of tho statue now being exhibited in the window' of Mr McGregor Wright. I sincerely hope, for the sake of art in this city, that th© committee responsible for collecting subscriptions for the statue fund will never give any man a commission to design and erect in bronze such a monstrosity. The design represents a female figure some six feet in height. In no sense is it representative of her lato Majestv, either in her youth in 1837 or as the venerable lady of 1900. The first thing that strikes the spectator is the want of artistic effect in the figure and pedestal. Both are harsh and inharmonious—the general pose is inartistic. The two lines from the waist downward, forming a geometrical figure, are bad in composition. The same remark applies to the arms—both are in nearly tlie same position, projecting forward from the body, with tho back of the elbow joints brought well to the front, giving the figure the appearance of a person about to execute a movement in a dance.

The head is not the head of her late Majesty. The profile is incorrect, the nose being turned skyward, instead of—as it shoulu have been—possessing a downtvard tendency. Queen Victoria’s head was large in proportion to her body, but tho model docs not show 7 this. The hands are masculine, instead of being the soft, chubby hands of our lato Queen. The drapery is heavy and cumbersome, and gives the figure the form of a bell tent. As to the other accessories, they are too meagre to give an opinion upon, but the whole figure strikes an observer as being undignified and vulgar, and it entirely fails to give an impression of the quiet, unassuming and natural dignity of our late Queen.

We have made one huge failure in this city in our one statue—that of the late Hon. John Ballarice. Do not let us make another in that of Queen Victoria. If the committee really wishes to have a choico of models before coming to a decision, let it invite the sculptors of New Zealand and Australia to send in models and estimates during the next two months. There is abundant talent in this colony to give the committee a considerable number from-which to select. More than this, it will be far more to our credit as a people to let the outside world know that wo have within our own borders men capable of reproducing in bronze and marble tho forms and features of i-uose we wish to honour, than to send 14,000 miles away to strangers. “Advance New Zealand!” A noble sen•timent, Mr Hislop. Let the committee ponder it.