Thomas Brock
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Brock KCB
RA (March 1, 1847 – August 22, 1922) was an English
sculptor
.
, attended the School of Design in Worcester and then undertook an apprenticeship in modelling at the Worcester Royal Porcelain Works. In 1866 he became a pupil of the sculptor John Henry Foley
. He married in 1869, and had 8 children. After Foley's death in 1874, Brock completed some of his commissions.
He first came to prominence when he was asked to complete the statue of Prince Albert for the Albert Memorial
. In 1901 Brock was awarded the colossal equestrian statue of Edward the Black Prince, set up in Leeds City Square
, and was also given perhaps his most significant commission, the vast multi-figure Imperial Memorial
to Queen Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace
. According to legend, at the unveiling in May 1911, George V
was so moved by the excellence of the memorial that he called for a sword and knighted Brock on the spot.
His group The Moment of Peril (now in the Tate Gallery
) was followed by The Genius of Poetry, at the Carlsberg Brewery, in Copenhagen, Eve, and other ideal works that mark his development. Other works include busts, such as those of Lord Leighton and Queen Victoria
, statues, such as Sir Richard Owen
and Henry Philpott
, bishop of Worcester, and sepulchral monuments such as Lord Leighton in St Pauls Cathedral, a work of singular significance, refinement and beauty.
Brock was elected an associate of the Royal Academy
in 1883 and full member in 1891.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
RA (March 1, 1847 – August 22, 1922) was an English
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...
sculptor
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
.
Life
Brock was born in WorcesterWorcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
, attended the School of Design in Worcester and then undertook an apprenticeship in modelling at the Worcester Royal Porcelain Works. In 1866 he became a pupil of the sculptor John Henry Foley
John Henry Foley
John Henry Foley , often referred to as JH Foley, was an Irish sculptor, best known for his statues of Daniel O'Connell in Dublin, and of Prince Albert in London. Both are still considered iconic in each city.-Life:...
. He married in 1869, and had 8 children. After Foley's death in 1874, Brock completed some of his commissions.
He first came to prominence when he was asked to complete the statue of Prince Albert for the Albert Memorial
Albert Memorial
The Albert Memorial is situated in Kensington Gardens, London, England, directly to the north of the Royal Albert Hall. It was commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her beloved husband, Prince Albert who died of typhoid in 1861. The memorial was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the...
. In 1901 Brock was awarded the colossal equestrian statue of Edward the Black Prince, set up in Leeds City Square
Leeds City Square
City Square is a paved open area in Leeds city centre in West Yorkshire, England.In 1897, the Leeds city council of the time wanted to improve the open space near to the Post Office and in 1899 work was completed. The city square was enhanced with the erection of statues, the grandest being the...
, and was also given perhaps his most significant commission, the vast multi-figure Imperial Memorial
Victoria Memorial (London)
The Victoria Memorial is a sculpture in London, placed at the centre of Queen's Gardens in front of Buckingham Palace and dedicated to Queen Victoria....
to Queen Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
. According to legend, at the unveiling in May 1911, George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
was so moved by the excellence of the memorial that he called for a sword and knighted Brock on the spot.
His group The Moment of Peril (now in the Tate Gallery
Tate Gallery
The Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
) was followed by The Genius of Poetry, at the Carlsberg Brewery, in Copenhagen, Eve, and other ideal works that mark his development. Other works include busts, such as those of Lord Leighton and Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
, statues, such as Sir Richard Owen
Richard Owen
Sir Richard Owen, FRS KCB was an English biologist, comparative anatomist and palaeontologist.Owen is probably best remembered today for coining the word Dinosauria and for his outspoken opposition to Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection...
and Henry Philpott
Henry Philpott
Henry Philpott was an English cricketer who played for Sussex. He was born and died in Brighton.Philpott made a single first-class appearance, during the 1855 season, against Surrey. From the lower order, Philpott scored 1 not out in the first innings in which he batted, and 10 runs in the...
, bishop of Worcester, and sepulchral monuments such as Lord Leighton in St Pauls Cathedral, a work of singular significance, refinement and beauty.
Brock was elected an associate of 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...
in 1883 and full member in 1891.
Works
- Monument to Henry PhilpottHenry Philpott (bishop)Henry Philpott was a distinguished scholar of the University of Cambridge. He matriculated at St Catharine's College, Cambridge in 1825 and graduated as Senior Wrangler and 2nd Smith's prizeman in 1829...
, Bishop of WorcesterBishop of WorcesterThe Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
. South Transept of Worcester CathedralWorcester CathedralWorcester Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Worcester, England; situated on a bank overlooking the River Severn. It is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Worcester. Its official name is The Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Mary the Virgin of Worcester...
. Seated white figure. (1892) - Queen Victoria Monument, Carlisle - UK
- Statue of Richard BaxterRichard BaxterRichard Baxter was an English Puritan church leader, poet, hymn-writer, theologian, and controversialist. Dean Stanley called him "the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen". After some false starts, he made his reputation by his ministry at Kidderminster, and at around the same time began a long...
, 17th century English Puritan church leader and divine scholar. Originally in the Bull Ring, KidderminsterKidderminsterKidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
but moved to its present site, outside St Mary's parish church in March 1967. Unveiled 28 July 1875.
- Statue of Sir Rowland HillRowland Hill (postal reformer)Sir Rowland Hill KCB, FRS was an English teacher, inventor and social reformer. He campaigned for a comprehensive reform of the postal system, based on the concept of penny postage and his solution of prepayment, facilitating the safe, speedy and cheap transfer of letters...
, inventor of the Penny BlackPenny BlackThe Penny Black was the world's first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system. It was issued in Britain on 1 May 1840, for official use from 6 May of that year....
and modern postal system. Vicar Street, KidderminsterKidderminsterKidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
. Unveiled 26 June 1881. - Statue of Queen Victoria on the grounds of the Belfast City HallBelfast City HallBelfast City Hall is the civic building of the Belfast City Council. Located in Donegall Square, Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, it faces north and effectively divides the commercial and business areas of the city centre.-History:...
- memorial to the victims of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, also on the grounds of Belfast City Hall
- statue and bas-relief on the Sir Henry Bartle Frere Memorial, Whitehall Gardens, London
- statue of Sir Henry Irving on Charing Cross Road, London
- figures of Navigation and Gunnery at the Admiralty ArchAdmiralty ArchAdmiralty Arch is a large office building in London which incorporates an archway providing road and pedestrian access between The Mall, which extends to the South-West, and Trafalgar Square to the North-East. It was designed by Sir Aston Webb, constructed by John Mowlem & Co and completed in 1912...
, London
Further reading
- Mark Stocker, ‘Brock, Sir Thomas (1847–1922)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford