© irene waters 2017
© irene waters 2017
© irene waters 2017
© irene waters 2017
“Spring passes and one remembers one’s innocence.
Summer passes and one remembers one’s exuberance.
Autumn passes and one remembers one’s reverence.
Winter passes and one remembers one’s perseverance.”
― Yoko Ono
Traveling Fashion Designers 🌼
My experience of breast cancer diagnosis and playing the shit cancer gameshow
"Life past, present, thoughts about the future, and ever changing world."
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Daily tips for success, business, lifestyles, self-esteem,...
Having fun blogging with friends
A Galaxy of Thoughts and Creativity
Tools, Dials & unexpected Levers
Travel accounts, reviews and itineraries!
Writing, Publishing, and Marketing Ideas
Writing Fiction and Running Miles! That goes together, right?
Short Stories and Poems - Mostly dark ones!
stories, photographs, adventures...the next chapter
Watch Your Thoughts; They Become Words
Connecting Authors and Readers
Author of The Sound of Water and other books
Aroused by Arête, an eco-meditating logophile
Daily Living in the Heart of Dixie
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
Thanks for posting all the statues – really beautiful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome Sharon. I thought I only had two and a half of them and then I found the other two. Silly of me to think I had neglected to take them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
When you first posted that comment, I kept wondering which half? You really did get great photos. Such interesting statues. Only winter is male, only winter looks old and sad.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Next time I go I will try and work out who they are and what the symbolism is. I thought he might represent the end of life, carrying garlic to ward off evil spirits but I can’t work out what is in his right hand.
LikeLike
In Winter’s right hand is a dead or dying bird. Its head is listing to one side as if broken, its right wing hangs straight down, and its left wing is bent over atop its head. Took me a long look to figure it out. I thought the plant in his left hand was radishes and couldn’t understand why he’s carrying them. But I don’t understand garlic either, if that’s what he’s holding. Do you know the symbolism?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had to find out if they were garlic (possibly for warding off evil spirits) or radishes (which are a winter crop). The dead bird I thought may signify an end and a beginning. In my search I came across “The Four Seasons also date from 1883 when they were part of
the same group of eight marble statues imported from Italy as La
Ballerina and the Boy extracting a thorn. The latter is currently being
restored in situ.
The Four Seasons are part of a long tradition of allegorical figures of
the seasons. This tradition dates back at least until the 16th century
and the figures are represented in many art forms from paintings by
Caravaggio to Meissen figurines. Universal to them all are some key
elements as follows:
Winter is always represented by an old man, and the other
three seasons by nubile young women
Spring always carries newly cut flowers, Summer holds a
scythe and Autumn incorporates a reference to the vintage
Thus in the Four Seasons at the Royal Botanic Gardens, we have
Spring holding newly cut roses, Summer with scythe by her side and
a swag of lilies, and Autumn with grapes by her side and cup at her
lips. Winter allegorically is normally shown as an old man in furs
often by a fire. In this case, we have a distinguished if rather dour
figure holding symbols of winter in the form of pine cones and a dead
bird.
Both Summer and Spring had been resident in ‘the Graveyard’ for
some time. Summer had lost her head, and it had been lost as well.
Summer’s torso had also been broken away from her legs. Spring had
been decapitated, and her hands damaged.
The process of conserving these two statues was a complicated one.
Where small parts were missing, we could reinstate. With larger
elements such as the recreation of Summer’s head we had to work off
19th Century images of the Gardens, which were of variable quality.
But happily, the creative and carving skills of Jacek Luszcyk, who
had already carved La Ballarina’s head, were up to the task. Unlike
La Ballarina, of which we had excellent photos from another copy of
the statue, the poor quality photo of Summer has meant that it has
been more of a challenge. But Jacek has accurately achieved the form
and feel of the original head, and inevitably brought his own creative
skills to ensure it reads correctly. He also rejoined her lower legs
to her body, and reconstructed her sickle and bouquet. Jacek also
returned Spring’s decapitated head to her shoulders, and repaired her
hands.” from http://www.icssydney.com.au/media/docs/Heritage_Marble_Statuary_Article.pdf
Turns out you were right about the bird and neither of us right re plant in hand. I found this fascinating and thank you for causing me to look at this more closely.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for doing the research, Irene. This was really interesting. I would never have imagined so much restoration work. The craftsmen did a fabulous job.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would never have known.
LikeLiked by 1 person