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Born on January 28, 1818, British sculptor Alfred Stevens was a master in marble, bronze, porcelain, and silver media. He hailed from a modest family. His father was a house painter based in Dorset, Southwest England. During his childhood, Alfred helped his father in his occupation. His artistry attracted the attention of local people. 1833 proved a turning year in Stevens’ career when Rector Samuel Best sent him to Italy for grooming his originative interests. While studying at Florence and Rome, the artisan formulated a penchant for the Italian Renaissance Art (14th-17th centuries). The style of the Italian Renaissance painter Michelangelo (1475-1564) strongly influenced Stevens’ works. The sculptor would likewise in a unique manner add serenity to almost all of his designs. To help his living in Italy, Alfred had to take up respective little errands. During 1840-42, he worked as an assistant to the famous Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844). Stevens returned to England in 1842. Here, the sculptor had to face disappointment, as he could not secure the contract of embellishing the Parliament. During 1845-47, he taught at the New School of Design, Somerset House (London). In 1850, he joined H E Hoole and Co, Sheffield, as chief artist. Here, Alfred mastered the art of metal (especially bronze) sculpting. Upon his return to London in 1852, he was commissioned to develop the British Museum railings. The ornate dwarf and lion palings on these railings later graced the Museum’s interiors. During his stay in Sheffield, Stevens likewise conceptualized the Green Lane Works Gateway. He ultimately executed it in 1860. The two life size humane figures on the either side of the entrance gate arch represent the coexistence of arts (female figure) and industry (male figure). The year 1856 marked the greatest milestone in Stevens’ career when he started with the world widely known and esteemed ‘Wellington Monument.’ The 40-foot high structure features a sarcophagus and a horizontally lying idol of the Duke of Wellington. The canopy of the Monument is made of marble. Composite bronze sculptures flank it on either side. While, the sculpture ‘Valor and Cowardice’ represents the winning of bravado over timidity, ‘Truth and Falsehood’ portrays the victory of truth over lie. ‘The Wellington Monument’ was an broad project. It consumed a big part of Stevens’ life. When he was working on the Monument, he took up only little assignings like the not finished chimneypiece at Dorchester House, Park Lane. The in the first place planned placement of the Wellington work was underneath one of the arches at St Paul’s Cathedral. However, it could find it is intended place only after the artist’s death in 1875. During the creation of ‘The Wellington Monument,’ the artisan had to bear bureaucratic hassles, state discouragement, and a lot of harassment. The cause of Alfred Stevens’ death remains unknown, but it is widely believed to be a suicide due to the repression he faced. |
