Lord Ronald Gower
Lord Ronald Gower
Luca Madrassi was born in Tricesimo, Italy. He studied and Rome and in Paris under Cavalier at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and later worked in the studio of Bourdelle. He exhibited at the Salon of the Societe des Artistes Francais in Paris (1881-1896), the Nationale in 1896 and Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool in 1903. He carried out many busts, statuettes, groups and allegorical subjects. Lord Ronald Charles Sutherland-Leveson-Gower (1845-1916) was the youngest son of the 2nd Duke of Sutherland. He was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge and was Liberal Member of Parliament for Sutherland, 1867-1874. Always passionately interested in the arts, he not only helped his parents form their extensive collection but he also wrote biographies of Marie Antoinette and Joan of Arc and a history of the Tower of London and was a Trustee of the National Portrait Gallery and the Birthplace and Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-on-Avon. After 1874 Gower decided to devote his energies to the arts. He spent long periods of time in Paris, working as a sculptor in the studio of Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse and then in a studio of his own. At this time he met Luca Madrassi, a fellow student of Carrier, who became his assistant. Together they created a number of original pieces, exhibited at the Royal Academy, Grosvenor Gallery and Paris Salon. His most important sculpture was the 1888 statue of Shakespeare and four of his principal characters, erected in Stratford-upon-Avon, and now known as the Gower Memorial. It took ten years to complete and cost Gower an estimated £500 per year. Madrassi was his principal assistant during this project and the present portrait bust of Gower dates to just before the time of their collaboration on this important work.
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, the Nationale in 1896 and Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool in 1903. He carried out many busts, statuettes, groups and allegorical subjects. Lord Ronald Charles Sutherland-Leveson-Gower (1845-1916) was the youngest son of the 2nd Duke of Sutherland. He was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge and was Liberal Member of Parliament for Sutherland, 1867-1874. Always passionately interested in the arts, he not only helped his parents form their extensive collection but he also wrote biographies of Marie Antoinette and Joan of Arc and a history of the Tower of London and was a Trustee of the National Portrait Gallery and the Birthplace and Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-on-Avon. After 1874 Gower decided to devote his energies to the arts. He spent long periods of time in Paris, working as a sculptor in the studio of Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse and then in a studio of his own. At this time he met Luca Madrassi, a fellow student of Carrier, who became his assistant. Together they created a number of original pieces, exhibited at the Royal Academy, Grosvenor Gallery and Paris Salon. His most important sculpture was the 1888 statue of Shakespeare and four of his principal characters, erected in Stratford-upon-Avon, and now known as the Gower Memorial. It took ten years to complete and cost Gower an estimated £500 per year. Madrassi was his principal assistant during this project and the present portrait bust of Gower dates to just before the time of their collaboration on this important work.){kind=link}