Edward Hodges Baily
Encyclopedia
Edward Hodges Baily RA FRS (10 March 1788 - 22 May 1867) - (sometimes misspelled Bailey) was an English
sculptor
who was born in Downend in Bristol
.
s for ships, destined him for a commercial life, but even at school the boy showed his natural taste and talents by producing numerous wax
model
s and busts of his schoolfellows. At the age of fourteen Baily was placed in a mercantile house, where he worked for the next two years, though he still felt a strong leaning towards his artistic abilities. At the age of sixteen he abandoned his commercial career and began executing portraits in wax. Two Homer
ic studies, executed for a friend, were shown to John Flaxman
, who bestowed on them such high commendation that in 1807 Baily came to London
and placed himself as a pupil under the great sculptor. In 1809 he entered the Royal Academy
Schools.
In 1811 he gained the Royal Academy gold medal for a model of Hercules
restoring Alcestis
to Admetus
, and soon after exhibited Apollo
discharging his Arrows against the Greeks and Hercules casting Lichas
into the Sea. He was elected ARA in 1817 and RA in 1821 when he exhibited one of his best pieces, Eve
at the Fountain. He was entrusted with the carving of the bas-reliefs on the south side of the Marble Arch
in Hyde Park
, and executed numerous busts and statues of public figures, including the prominent, well-known statue of Nelson, at the top of Nelson's Column
, in Trafalgar Square
. In 1857, the year of his retirement from the Royal Academy, he also designed a Turner Gold Medal for Landscape Painting.
Baily's election as a fellow of the Royal Society
(FRS) came in 1842. Amongst his pupils was William Theed (1804–1891), a leading Victorian sculptor who produced a number of portrait busts and the large group sculpture ‘’Africa’’ for the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens
. Among Baily's assistants were Musgrave Watson
(1804–1847) and Joseph Durham
ARA (1814–1877).
Financial insecurity was a recurring theme in his life. He was first declared bankrupt in 1831, and again in 1838. On the first occasion questions were asked in Parliament on his behalf because his financial distress had resulted from delays in receiving payment for sculptures at Buckingham Palace
. Fortunately his appeals to the Royal Academy for financial assistance, were successful in the 1830s, as again in the 1860s, when they provided him with a pension of £200 a year as an honorary retired RA.
Baily died at 99 Devonshire Road, Holloway
on 22 May 1867 and is buried in London's Highgate Cemetery
.
, the paleontologist. Some of Edward Baily's descendants still live in Bristol and East Grinstead today.
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...
who was born in Downend in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
.
Life
Baily's father, who was a celebrated carver of figureheadFigurehead
A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and 19th century.-History:Although earlier ships had often had some form of bow ornamentation A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and...
s for ships, destined him for a commercial life, but even at school the boy showed his natural taste and talents by producing numerous wax
Wax
thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...
model
Model (physical)
A physical model is a smaller or larger physical copy of an object...
s and busts of his schoolfellows. At the age of fourteen Baily was placed in a mercantile house, where he worked for the next two years, though he still felt a strong leaning towards his artistic abilities. At the age of sixteen he abandoned his commercial career and began executing portraits in wax. Two Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
ic studies, executed for a friend, were shown to John Flaxman
John Flaxman
John Flaxman was an English sculptor and draughtsman.-Early life:He was born in York. His father was also named John, after an ancestor who, according to family tradition, had fought for Parliament at the Battle of Naseby, and afterwards settled as a carrier or farmer in Buckinghamshire...
, who bestowed on them such high commendation that in 1807 Baily came 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 placed himself as a pupil under the great sculptor. In 1809 he entered 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.
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
restoring Alcestis
Alcestis
Alcestis is a princess in Greek mythology, known for her love of her husband. Her story was popularised in Euripides's tragedy Alcestis. She was the daughter of Pelias, king of Iolcus, and either Anaxibia or Phylomache....
to Admetus
Admetus
In Greek mythology, Admetus was a king of Pherae in Thessaly, succeeding his father Pheres after whom the city was named. Admetus was one of the Argonauts and took part in the Calydonian Boar hunt. His wife Alcestis offered to substitute her own death for his.-Mythology:Admetus was famed for his...
, and soon after exhibited Apollo
Apollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
discharging his Arrows against the Greeks and Hercules casting Lichas
Lichas
In Greek mythology, Lichas was Hercules' servant, who brought the poisoned shirt from Deianira to Hercules because of her jealousy of Iole, killing him...
into the Sea. He was elected ARA in 1817 and RA in 1821 when he exhibited one of his best pieces, Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
at the Fountain. He was entrusted with the carving of the bas-reliefs on the south side of the Marble Arch
Marble Arch
Marble Arch is a white Carrara marble monument that now stands on a large traffic island at the junction of Oxford Street, Park Lane, and Edgware Road, almost directly opposite Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park in London, England...
in Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
, and executed numerous busts and statues of public figures, including the prominent, well-known statue of Nelson, at the top of Nelson's Column
Nelson's Column
Nelson's Column is a monument in Trafalgar Square in central London built to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The monument was constructed between 1840 and 1843 to a design by William Railton at a cost of £47,000. It is a column of the Corinthian...
, in Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
. In 1857, the year of his retirement from the Royal Academy, he also designed a Turner Gold Medal for Landscape Painting.
Baily's election as a fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(FRS) came in 1842. Amongst his pupils was William Theed (1804–1891), a leading Victorian sculptor who produced a number of portrait busts and the large group sculpture ‘’Africa’’ for the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens
Kensington Gardens
Kensington Gardens, once the private gardens of Kensington Palace, is one of the Royal Parks of London, lying immediately to the west of Hyde Park. It is shared between the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The park covers an area of 111 hectares .The open spaces...
. Among Baily's assistants were Musgrave Watson
Musgrave Watson
Musgrave Lewthwaite Watson was an English sculptor of the early 19th century.Watson was born in Cumberland, being christened on 8 March 1804 at Hawksdale, near Dalston. His parents were prosperous farmers, who also owned an iron-forge...
(1804–1847) and Joseph Durham
Joseph Durham
Joseph Durham was an English sculptor.-Life:Born in London in 1814, he was apprenticed to John Francis, a decorative carver. Later worked for three years in the studio of E. H. Baily, and exhibited his first piece of sculpture in the Royal Academy in 1835...
ARA (1814–1877).
Financial insecurity was a recurring theme in his life. He was first declared bankrupt in 1831, and again in 1838. On the first occasion questions were asked in Parliament on his behalf because his financial distress had resulted from delays in receiving payment for sculptures at 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...
. Fortunately his appeals to the Royal Academy for financial assistance, were successful in the 1830s, as again in the 1860s, when they provided him with a pension of £200 a year as an honorary retired RA.
Baily died at 99 Devonshire Road, Holloway
Holloway, London
Holloway is an inner-city district in the London Borough of Islington located north of Charing Cross and follows for the most part, the line of the Holloway Road . At the centre of Holloway is the Nag's Head area...
on 22 May 1867 and is buried in London's Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery is a cemetery located in north London, England. It is designated Grade I on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. It is divided into two parts, named the East and West cemetery....
.
Works
Amongst Baily's many busts and statues of scientific, religious and literary figures (mostly from the Victorian period but some from earlier periods) are the following :- Charles James Fox & Lord Mansfield – St.Stephen's Hall, Westminster, London
- Lord Byron – Harrow School; and Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire
- Michael Faraday – University Museum, Oxford
- Dr Isaac Watts – Dr Watts' Walk, Abney Park CemeteryAbney Park CemeteryAbney Park in Stoke Newington, in the London Borough of Hackney, is a historic parkland originally laid out in the early 18th century by Lady Mary Abney and Dr. Isaac Watts, and the neighbouring Hartopp family. In 1840 it became a non-denominational garden cemetery, semi-public park arboretum, and...
, Stoke Newington, London - Sir Robert Peel – Market Place, BuryBuryBury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
- Horatio, Viscount Nelson – on Nelson's ColumnNelson's ColumnNelson's Column is a monument in Trafalgar Square in central London built to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The monument was constructed between 1840 and 1843 to a design by William Railton at a cost of £47,000. It is a column of the Corinthian...
, Trafalgar Square, London - Philip John Miles – Holy Trinity, Abbots Leigh
- Richard Owen – Royal College of Surgeons
- Sir John Herschel – St. John's College, Cambridge
- Thomas Bewick – Literary & Philosophical Society, Newcastle upon Tyne
- Sir James Knott – as above
- George O'Brien Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont – St.Mary's, Petworth, Sussex
- Charles, 2nd Earl Grey – Grey Street, Newcastle upon Tyne
- George Stephenson, National Railway MuseumNational Railway MuseumThe National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
, York - Eve at the Fountain – Art Gallery, Cambridge
- Eve at the Fountain – Bristol City Museum and Art GalleryBristol City Museum and Art GalleryThe Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery is a large museum and art gallery in Bristol, England. It is run by the city council with no entrance fee. It holds designated museum status, granted by the national government to protect outstanding museums...
- Governor Richard Bourke – State Library of New South Wales, Sydney
- Athena – Athenaeum Club, LondonAthenaeum Club, LondonThe Athenaeum Club, usually just referred to as the Athenaeum, is a notable London club with its Clubhouse located at 107 Pall Mall, London, England, at the corner of Waterloo Place....
- Sir Thomas Picton – Carmarthen, Wales
- Chief Justice Tindal – Tindal Square, Chelmsford, Essex
- Sir Charles Metcalfe – Kingston, Jamaica
- Thomas Fleming – Manchester Cathedral
- Justice – Old Council House, BristolOld Council House, BristolThe Old Council House is in Corn Street, Bristol, England.It was built as the city council chamber and treasurer's office between 1824 and 1827 by Sir Robert Smirke, on the site of the old St Ewan's church. The statue of Justice over the entrance is by Edward Hodges Baily....
- A tablet with two marble full-length angels, to Samuel Paynter, of RichmondSamuel Paynter, of RichmondSamuel Paynter was a wealthy landowner from St Issey in Cornwall. He made his fortune as a builder and contractor with his brother Francis Paynter at 64 Coleman Street and 57 Wood street, City of London...
– Richmond Church.
Relatives
His nephew was William Hellier BailyWilliam Hellier Baily
William Hellier Baily was an English palaeontologist. His uncle was E.H. Baily, a sculptor. William Hellier Baily was born at Bristol on July 7, 1819....
, the paleontologist. Some of Edward Baily's descendants still live in Bristol and East Grinstead today.