Charles Summers
Encyclopedia
Charles Summers was an English
-born Australia
n sculptor, creator of the memorial to the explorers Burke
and Wills
.
, near Ilchester
, in Somerset
, son of George Summers, builder and mason, and elder brother of Joseph Summers. George Summers had roaming ways which caused his family to be frequently in financial difficulties; his mother, however, was a woman of good character. Summers went to work from eight years of age and while working as a mason began to show ability in carving fancy stone work. This led to his being employed as an assistant in setting up a monumental figure at Weston-super-Mare
which had been modelled by Henry Weekes
, R.A. He saved money from his wages and at the age of 19 went to London
and obtained work at Weekes's studio. Summers subsequently worked under L. Watson, another sculptor of the period, and studied at the Royal Academy
schools. In 1851 he won the silver medal for the best model from life and the gold medal for the set subject, Mercy interceding for the Vanquished.
in Melbourne, obtained a position and modelled the figures on the ceiling of the council chamber. The exhibiting of some busts at the intercolonial exhibition held in 1854 led to his getting commissions, and he opened a studio in Collins Street
. Summers was a founder of the Victorian Society of Fine Arts in October 1856. Summers tutored William Stanford
in sculpture design.
In 1864 it was decided to erect a memorial to the explorers Burke
and Wills
. Summers obtained the commission, and not only modelled the figures but built a furnace and himself cast them in bronze. The colossal figure of Burke was cast in one operation, an amazing feat when it is considered that there were no skilled workmen for this type of work in Australia. On the completion of this group he sailed for England on the True Briton in May 1867, and after obtaining various commissions went to Rome
and opened a studio. There he did a large amount of work and was able to employ many assistants. In 1876 Sir William J. Clarke
employed him to do four large statues in marble of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and the Prince and Princess of Wales for presentation to the Melbourne art gallery. These were completed in 1878. Soon afterwards Summers while on his way to England was taken seriously ill, and died after an operation for acute goitre at Paris
on 30 November 1878.
grounds, is charming, and the recumbent figure of Lady Macleay at Godstone
, Surrey, is also meritorious. Personally Summers was modest, and his willingness to see ability in the work of other artists was a good influence in the early time of art in Victoria. Several examples of his work together with his portrait of Margaret Thomas
are in the historical collection at the National Gallery of Victoria
, Melbourne. Summers is also represented in the Adelaide
gallery and at the Mitchell library, Sydney
. Summers married when a young man; his son, Charles Francis Summers, who survived him, was also a sculptor.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-born Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n sculptor, creator of the memorial to the explorers Burke
Robert O'Hara Burke
Robert O'Hara Burke was an Irish soldier and police officer, who achieved fame as an Australian explorer. He was the leader of the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition, which was the first expedition to cross Australia from south to north, finding a route across the continent from the settled...
and Wills
William John Wills
William John Wills was an English surveyor who also trained for a while as a surgeon. He achieved fame as the second-in-command of the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition, which was the first expedition to cross Australia from south to north, finding a route across the continent from the settled...
.
Early life
Summers was born at Charlton MackrellCharlton Mackrell
Charlton Mackrell is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated three miles east of Somerton in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 996....
, near Ilchester
Ilchester
Ilchester is a village and civil parish, situated on the River Yeo or Ivel, five miles north of Yeovil, in the English county of Somerset. The parish, which includes the village of Sock Dennis and the old parish of Northover, has a population of 2,021...
, in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, son of George Summers, builder and mason, and elder brother of Joseph Summers. George Summers had roaming ways which caused his family to be frequently in financial difficulties; his mother, however, was a woman of good character. Summers went to work from eight years of age and while working as a mason began to show ability in carving fancy stone work. This led to his being employed as an assistant in setting up a monumental figure at Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
which had been modelled by Henry Weekes
Henry Weekes
Henry Weekes, RA was an English sculptor, best known for his portraiture. He was among the most successful British sculptors of the mid-Victorian period....
, R.A. He saved money from his wages and at the age of 19 went to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and obtained work at Weekes's studio. Summers subsequently worked under L. Watson, another sculptor of the period, and studied at the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
schools. In 1851 he won the silver medal for the best model from life and the gold medal for the set subject, Mercy interceding for the Vanquished.
Australia
Summers, a hard worker, fell into ill health, and in 1852 sailed for Australia joining one of his brothers who had previously settled there. He tried his fortunes at gold-digging but seeing an advertisement for modellers for the newly built Parliament HouseParliament House, Melbourne
Parliament House in Melbourne, located at Spring Street in East Melbourne at the edge of the Melbourne city centre, has been the seat of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia, since 1855 .- History :In 1851, even before the colony of Victoria acquired full parliamentary self-government, Governor...
in Melbourne, obtained a position and modelled the figures on the ceiling of the council chamber. The exhibiting of some busts at the intercolonial exhibition held in 1854 led to his getting commissions, and he opened a studio in Collins Street
Collins Street, Melbourne
Collins Street is a major street in the Melbourne central business district and runs approximately east to west.It is notable as Melbourne's traditional main street and best known street, is often regarded as Australia's premier street, with some of the country's finest Victorian era buildings.The...
. Summers was a founder of the Victorian Society of Fine Arts in October 1856. Summers tutored William Stanford
William Stanford
William Walter Tyrell Stanford was an Australian sculptor.Stanford was born in London, England, son of Thomas Tyrell, contractor, and his wife Frances, née Trevor. As a youth Stanford was apprenticed to a stonemason....
in sculpture design.
In 1864 it was decided to erect a memorial to the explorers Burke
Robert O'Hara Burke
Robert O'Hara Burke was an Irish soldier and police officer, who achieved fame as an Australian explorer. He was the leader of the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition, which was the first expedition to cross Australia from south to north, finding a route across the continent from the settled...
and Wills
William John Wills
William John Wills was an English surveyor who also trained for a while as a surgeon. He achieved fame as the second-in-command of the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition, which was the first expedition to cross Australia from south to north, finding a route across the continent from the settled...
. Summers obtained the commission, and not only modelled the figures but built a furnace and himself cast them in bronze. The colossal figure of Burke was cast in one operation, an amazing feat when it is considered that there were no skilled workmen for this type of work in Australia. On the completion of this group he sailed for England on the True Briton in May 1867, and after obtaining various commissions went to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and opened a studio. There he did a large amount of work and was able to employ many assistants. In 1876 Sir William J. Clarke
William John Clarke
Sir William John Clarke was an Australian pastoralist, cattle-breeder and philanthropist.-Early life:Clarke was the eldest son of William John Turner Clarke and his wife Eliza, née Dowling and was born in Van Diemen's Land...
employed him to do four large statues in marble of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and the Prince and Princess of Wales for presentation to the Melbourne art gallery. These were completed in 1878. Soon afterwards Summers while on his way to England was taken seriously ill, and died after an operation for acute goitre at Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on 30 November 1878.
Legacy
Summers was a regular exhibitor at Royal Academy exhibitions; more than 40 of his works were shown between 1849 and 1876. He was a competent sculptor in a dull and uninspiring period of English art, and comparatively little of his work has lasting qualities. His 'Burke and Wills group' at Melbourne is a sound and dignified piece of work, his frieze of putti on the old Bank of New South Wales building, now in the University of MelbourneUniversity of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
grounds, is charming, and the recumbent figure of Lady Macleay at Godstone
Godstone
Godstone is a village in the county of Surrey, England. It is located approximately six miles east of Reigate at the junction of the A22 and A25 major roads, and near the M25 motorway.-History:...
, Surrey, is also meritorious. Personally Summers was modest, and his willingness to see ability in the work of other artists was a good influence in the early time of art in Victoria. Several examples of his work together with his portrait of Margaret Thomas
Margaret Thomas
Margaret Thomas was an English-born Australian travel writer, poet and artist.Thomas was born at Croydon, Surrey, England, daughter of Thomas Cook, shipowner. Her date of birth is often cited incorrectly as 1843 and she was herself inconsistent about both her age and date of birth...
are in the historical collection at the National Gallery of Victoria
National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria is an art gallery and museum in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest and the largest public art gallery in Australia. Since December 2003, NGV has operated across two sites...
, Melbourne. Summers is also represented in the Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
gallery and at the Mitchell library, Sydney
State Library of New South Wales
The State Library of New South Wales is a large public library owned by the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Macquarie Street, Sydney near Shakespeare Place...
. Summers married when a young man; his son, Charles Francis Summers, who survived him, was also a sculptor.