Statues in the Victorian Gallery
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Marble is a hard form of calcium carbonate or limestone capable of taking smooth high polish. It is the traditional stone used for sculptures. Because calcium carbonate is susceptible to the destructive action of acidic impurities in the atmosphere, it is not durable outside. There are many varieties of marble which differ in surface appearance colour. Marble comes from Greece, Italy, Belgium, France, England and the United States. We do not know where the marble for these statues came from, but the ones made in Italy are likely to be local stone. |
 Greek Hero leading a Bull to be sacrificed, date of sculpture unknown Purchased 1871 |
Each one of the statues is carved from an individual block.
The statues were cleaned prior to being coated with a waxy resin which will protect the marble from the acidic oils that are contained on human skin. If touching unprotected marble the acidic oils from your hands will, over time, adhere to the marble and erode it. At some point, the statues will need to be re-coated with the resin as it also erodes over time and handling
 Cupid Dealer, date unknown Presented by the Armitage (Chomlea bequest, 1900) |
 Genius of Lancashire, 1880 Presented by Benjamin Armitage, 1881 |
 Cain and Abel, date unknown Presented by Benjamin Armitage 1889 |
 Schwanhilda, 1854 Mrs Tootal Bequest, 1888 |
This page was last updated on 20 October 2004
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