Emil Todt
Encyclopedia
Emil Hermann Todt was a German
botanical artist and sculptor who was active in Australia
from the 1850s to the 1880s.
Todt was born in Berlin
in 1810 or 1811, and studied sculpture under Ludwig Wichmann from around 1830 until 1836. In 1849 he emigrated to South Australia
, possibly because of an involvement in the revolutions of the time
. In 1851 he got caught up in the Victorian gold rush
, but by 1854 had settled in Melbourne
where he returned to sculpture.
That year he exhibited what has become his most famous work. This was The gold diggers, a sculpture depicting two gold diggers, one standing and one sitting, in their working clothes. Described at the time as "nothing short of genius of a high order", it is now held by the National Gallery of Victoria
, and has recently been described in the following terms:
The gold diggers was exhibited at the Victorian Exhibition, attracting for Todt a number of commissions, including a Madonna and Child for the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Melbourne. By 1856 Todt was considered one of the leading artists in Melbourne, although this mantle was shortly afterwards claimed by Charles Summers
.
During the 1860s, Todt made coloured, life-sized fruits and vegetables for display at the International Exhibitions at London
in 1862 and at Dublin in 1865. He also created relief map
s of Victoria
and painted a portrait of premier of Victoria Richard Heales
.
Todt undertook his last major work in the early 1880s. This was the illustration of Ferdinand von Mueller
's Eucalyptographia: a descriptive atlas of the Eucalypts of Australia and the adjoining islands. In 1882, during the preparation of the work, von Mueller named Eucalyptus todtiana
(Coastal Blackbutt) in honour of Todt, stating
Two years later, the work was published, with Todt's contribution being over seventy lithographed illustrations.
He died in Melbourne on 10 July 1900.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
botanical artist and sculptor who was active in 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...
from the 1850s to the 1880s.
Todt was born in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in 1810 or 1811, and studied sculpture under Ludwig Wichmann from around 1830 until 1836. In 1849 he emigrated to South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, possibly because of an involvement in the revolutions of the time
Revolutions of 1848
The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations, Springtime of the Peoples or the Year of Revolution, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe in 1848. It was the first Europe-wide collapse of traditional authority, but within a year reactionary...
. In 1851 he got caught up in the Victorian gold rush
Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
, but by 1854 had settled in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
where he returned to sculpture.
That year he exhibited what has become his most famous work. This was The gold diggers, a sculpture depicting two gold diggers, one standing and one sitting, in their working clothes. Described at the time as "nothing short of genius of a high order", it is now held by 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...
, and has recently been described in the following terms:
The gold diggers was exhibited at the Victorian Exhibition, attracting for Todt a number of commissions, including a Madonna and Child for the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Melbourne. By 1856 Todt was considered one of the leading artists in Melbourne, although this mantle was shortly afterwards claimed by Charles Summers
Charles Summers
Charles Summers was an English-born Australian sculptor, creator of the memorial to the explorers Burke and Wills.-Early life:...
.
During the 1860s, Todt made coloured, life-sized fruits and vegetables for display at the International Exhibitions at 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...
in 1862 and at Dublin in 1865. He also created relief map
Raised-relief map
A raised-relief map or terrain model is a three-dimensional representation, usually of terrain. When representing terrain, the elevation dimension is usually exaggerated by a factor between five and ten; this facilitates the visual recognition of terrain features.-History:In his 1665 paper for the...
s of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and painted a portrait of premier of Victoria Richard Heales
Richard Heales
Richard Heales , Victorian colonial politician, was the 4th Premier of Victoria.Heales was born in London, the son of an ironmonger. He was apprenticed as a coachbuilder and migrated to Victoria with his father in 1842. He worked for some years as a labourer before establishing himself as a...
.
Todt undertook his last major work in the early 1880s. This was the illustration of Ferdinand von Mueller
Ferdinand von Mueller
Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, KCMG was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist.-Early life:...
's Eucalyptographia: a descriptive atlas of the Eucalypts of Australia and the adjoining islands. In 1882, during the preparation of the work, von Mueller named Eucalyptus todtiana
Eucalyptus todtiana
Eucalyptus todtiana is a species of tree native to south-western Australia.Common names include Blackbutt, Coastal Blackbutt and Pricklybark.-Description:E. todtiana grows to about 15 metres...
(Coastal Blackbutt) in honour of Todt, stating
Two years later, the work was published, with Todt's contribution being over seventy lithographed illustrations.
He died in Melbourne on 10 July 1900.