Statue of Sir Charles Wetherell
by Thomas Tyley of Bristol, 1839
stone (oolitic limestone)

 (click on each in turn for an enlargement)

Sir Charles Wetherell was Recorder (senior judge) of Bristol and was unpopular because he repeatedly declared that the people of Bristol were not interested in the reform of Parliament. When he arrived in the city for the opening of the Assizes in October 1831 crowds demonstrated their anger. The demonstration became a riot and for nearly two days Bristol was in the hands of the mob. The Mansion House and Custom House and much of Queen Square, the Bishop’s Palace, toll houses, prisons and many other buildings were destroyed or severely damaged in the bloodiest riots of the nineteenth century. The Great Reform Act was finally passed in 1832.

This statue was erected in 1839, on the premises of Mr Milsom, a builder, near Meridian Place, Clifton.

Given by James Fuller Eberle, 1921. K5087
Conserved in 2009 with the assistance of the Friends of Bristol Art Gallery, the Society of Merchant Venturers, the Bristol Savages, and Rosemary Furber (née Wetherell).

Note: the Statue was under wraps during the winter, but can now be seen in all its restored glory until the end of October.

(Updated on 23 May 2010)

Description:
‘Nile Flowers and Papyrus’ by Mahrous Abdou (born 1964), tapestry, hand-dyed wool with cotton warp, made in Egypt at the Ramses Wissa Wassef Arts Center, 2009.

Commentary:
The artist, Mahrous Abdou, works at the Ramses Wissa Wassef Arts Center, near Giza, Egypt, set up in the 1950s by a prominent Egyptian architect. With its stunning design, the ‘Nile flowers and Papyrus’ tapestry can be seen in the Egypt Gallery at the end of the ‘Nile Corridor’ which divides the gallery into the main thematic displays relating to Life and Death. The work complements the ancient Egyptian material, including Coptic weaving, as well as boosting a growing collection of contemporary Egyptian craft.

At present it is not seen to best advantage, pending installation of new lighting.

Presented to Bristol’s City Museum & Art Gallery by the Ramses Wissa Wassef Exhibition Trust. Mounting and framing kindly sponsored by the Friends of Bristol Art Gallery at a cost of £1,222.

(Updated 25 June 2010)

This sampler, neatly worked in coloured silks on a wool fabric, is helpfully signed across the bottom ‘Lucy Fripp Berkeley Square Bristol March the 15 1830 Aged ..’ As often happens, the maker has unpicked her age at a later date so as not to give it away.  However, census records show that Lucy was born c.1823 and would herefore have been 7 or 8 when she worked her sampler.  The 1830 Street Directory for Bristol lists Lucy’s father, Daniel Fripp, Esq at 30 Berkeley Square.
The verse is from a poem ‘To Childhood’ by John Scott of Amwell, first published in 1782.

This sampler is kept in the Georgian House and is available to be seen on request.

The cost of £395 in acquiring it was met in full by The Friends

(Click to enlarge)

This cut-paper, wood, and watercolour model is made in an unusual technique and is a very accurate view of Ashton Court. The mansion, on the outskirts of Bristol, was transformed by Sir Hugh Smyth in the early 19th century. He doubled the length of the south front and all of the brown wing, shown on the right, is his addition. The model maker is not known, but was perhaps a lady of the Smyth family. It was probably made in the early 1830s and is in its original frame.

Purchased with the assistance of the Friends of Bristol Art Gallery and the MLA/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, 2009.

Total cost £3,000 of which The Friends paid half.

This paper-cut is included in the current ‘What’s New?’ exhibition in the Watercolour Gallery, complete with its “new” frame following conservation

Description: Plate, porcelain, China, c.1730-50, repaired and marked on reverse in lustre glaze ‘Coombs Qn St Bristol 1811′.

(Click to enlarge)

Commentary:
This porcelain plate was made in China in about 1730-50 for export to the west. The design borrows from designs of Japanese porcelain and is known in the trade as ‘Chinese Imari’.  We have proof that this example with old damage, was in use in the Bristol area in the early 19th century. On the reverse of the plate, a repairer, Edward Coombs of Queen Street, has signed his repair ‘Coombs Qn St Bristol 1811′.

Coombs worked as a ‘China Burner’, mending his customers’ precious porcelain items by dipping broken parts in glaze and re-firing them, from as early as 1781 until his death in 1821 when his wife and daughter continued the business. This plate is the latest dated piece repaired by Coombs in the Bristol collection. Coincidentally, the design on the front is identical to those on a pair of plates which were donated to Bristol in 2003 as part of the J.O.Thompson bequest of Chinese export porcelain and paintings through the Art Fund (transported to Bristol with the generous assistance of the Friends).

This item is included in the current ‘What’s New?’ exhibition in the Watercolour Gallery

Created to shock the senses and stir the soul – ‘The Sacred Made Real: Spanish Painting and Sculpture 1600-1700’ presents a landmark reappraisal of religious art from the Spanish Golden Age.   Paintings including masterpieces by Diego Velazquez and Francisco de Zurbaran are displayed for the very first time alongside Spain’s remarkable ‘polychrome’ (painted) sculptures.

Anna Jackson, Deputy Keeper of the Asian Department at the V & A,  will lecture tonight on the ‘Maharaja: the splendour of India’s royal courts’ exhibition, of which she is the curator.

Her research interest is the cultural relationship between Asia and West, a subject on which she has published widely.

As reported below, demand for this excursion has been high.  This means that this lecture should also be well attended.  The advice is to come along well before the 7.30pm start to get a good seat.

(This item updated on 26 November 2009)