Joseph Durham
Encyclopedia
Joseph Durham was an English sculptor.
, 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. He became an associate of the Royal Academy in 1866, and died, after a long illness, in London on 27 October 1877.
. He was noted for his figures of boys engaged in athletic exercises.
His busts of Jenny Lind
(1848) and of Queen Victoria (1856) attracted much attention. A statue by him of Sir Francis Crossley was erected at Halifax
. He executed four statues for the portico of London University in Burlington Gardens. In 1858 Durham received the commission for the Memorial to the Great Exhibition of 1851, which ultimately included the electrotyped statute
of the Prince Consort Albert following Albert's death in 1861. In 1863 the Memorial was erected in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society
at Kensington
, and was moved near to Royal Albert Hall
around 1890.
One of his major works was a ‘Leander and the Syren,’ exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1875. His statues entitled ‘Hermione’ and ‘Alastor’ were purchased for the Mansion House
.
Life
Born in London in 1814, he was apprenticed to John FrancisJohn Francis (sculptor)
-Life:He was born in Lincolnshire 3 September 1780, and was intended to go into farming. He settled in London from, where he became a pupil of Samuel Joseph and Francis Leggatt Chantrey. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1820 a bust of Thomas William Coke, and another of Captain Sir W....
, 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
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 1835. He became an associate of the Royal Academy in 1866, and died, after a long illness, in London on 27 October 1877.
Works
Between 1835 and 1878 126 pieces of sculpture by Durham were exhibited at the Royal Academy, and six at the British InstitutionBritish Institution
The British Institution was a private 19th-century society in London formed to exhibit the works of living and dead artists; it was also known as the Pall Mall Picture Galleries or the British Gallery...
. He was noted for his figures of boys engaged in athletic exercises.
His busts of Jenny Lind
Jenny Lind
Johanna Maria Lind , better known as Jenny Lind, was a Swedish opera singer, often known as the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she is known for her performances in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and across Europe, and for an extraordinarily...
(1848) and of Queen Victoria (1856) attracted much attention. A statue by him of Sir Francis Crossley was erected at Halifax
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
. He executed four statues for the portico of London University in Burlington Gardens. In 1858 Durham received the commission for the Memorial to the Great Exhibition of 1851, which ultimately included the electrotyped statute
Electrotyping
Electrotyping is a chemical method for forming metal parts that exactly reproduce a model. The method was invented by Moritz von Jacobi in Russia in 1838, and was immediately adopted for applications in printing and several other fields...
of the Prince Consort Albert following Albert's death in 1861. In 1863 the Memorial was erected in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
at Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, and was moved near to Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
around 1890.
One of his major works was a ‘Leander and the Syren,’ exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1875. His statues entitled ‘Hermione’ and ‘Alastor’ were purchased for the Mansion House
Mansion House
Mansion House may refer to:* the official residences of the Mayor or Lord Mayor of various towns and cities in Great Britain and Ireland:** Mansion House, Dublin** Mansion House, London***See also Mansion House tube station on the London Underground...
.