Sir William Goscombe John (21 February 1860 – 15 December 1952) was a prolific Welsh sculptor known for his many public memorials. As a sculptor, John developed a distinctive style of his own while respecting classical traditions and forms of sculpture. He gained national attention with statues of eminent Victorians in London and Cardiff and subsequently, after both the
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...
and
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, created a large number of war memorials. These included the two large group works, ''
The Response 1914'' in Newcastle upon Tyne and the
Port Sunlight War Memorial
The Port Sunlight War Memorial stands in a central position in the model village of Port Sunlight, Wirral, Merseyside, England. The founder of the village and employer of its residents, William Lever, was anxious to have a memorial to commemor ...
which are considered the finest sculptural ensembles on any British monument.
Although as a young man he adopted the first name Goscombe, taken from the name of a village in
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean.
The county town is the city of Gl ...
near his mother's home, he was actively engaged with his native Wales and Welsh culture throughout his career.
Biography
Early life and career
John was born in the
Canton area of
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
, to Thomas John, a wood carver from
Llantrithyd
Llantrithyd (also Llantriddyd) is a rural village and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The Aubrey Baronets were lords of the manor of Llantrithyd for centuries: the family died out in the 1850s.
St Illtyd's Church
The church of St Il ...
and Elizabeth, née Smith, from
Randwick in
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean.
The county town is the city of Gl ...
.
As a youth John assisted his father in the restoration of
Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle ( cy, Castell Caerdydd) is a medieval castle and Victorian Gothic revival mansion located in the city centre of Cardiff, Wales. The original motte and bailey castle was built in the late 11th century by Norman invaders on top ...
and
Castell Coch
(; ) is a 19th-century Gothic Revival castle built above the village of in South Wales. The first castle on the site was built by the Normans after 1081 to protect the newly conquered town of Cardiff and control the route along the Taff Gorge ...
during 1874 which was being overseen by
William Burges
William Burges (; 2 December 1827 – 20 April 1881) was an English architect and designer. Among the greatest of the Victorian art-architects, he sought in his work to escape from both nineteenth-century industrialisation and the Neoc ...
.
He initially studied in his home town, attending the
Cardiff School of Art throughout the 1870s and also took anatomy classes from a local painter.
John moved to London in 1881 and worked as a pupil-assistant in the studio of
Thomas Nicholls, Burges' architectural carver.
John then studied at the
South London School of Technical Art under
Jules Dalou
Aimé-Jules Dalou (31 December 183815 April 1902) was a 19th-century French sculptor, admired for his perceptiveness, execution, and unpretentious realism.
Early life
Born in Paris to a working-class family of Huguenot background, he was raised ...
and
William Silver Frith
William Silver Frith (1850–1924) was a British sculptor.
Frith graduated from the Lambeth School of Art and the Royal Academy Schools, and became assistant to Jules Dalou. By 1880 Frith had succeeded Dalou as master at the newly formed South L ...
and then at the
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...
schools, where he won the gold medal and a travelling scholarship in 1887.
Throughout 1890 and 1891 he travelled in Europe and Africa and, in 1891, took a studio in Paris where he studied with
Auguste Rodin
François Auguste René Rodin (12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor, generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a uniqu ...
.
John's statuette, ''Morpheus'' clearly reflected the influence of Rodin on his development and the piece received an honourable mention when shown at the
Paris Salon
The Salon (french: Salon), or rarely Paris Salon (French: ''Salon de Paris'' ), beginning in 1667 was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Between 1748 and 1890 it was arguably the greatest annual or biennial art ...
in 1892.
After the success of ''Morpheus'', John created a series of exhibition pieces that embraced the naturalistic style of the
New Sculpture
New Sculpture was a movement in late 19th-century British sculpture with an emphasis on naturalistic poses and spiritual subjects. The movement was characterised by the production of free-standing statues and statuettes of 'ideal' figures from poe ...
movement and cemented his reputation.
''John the Baptist'', 1894, a life-sized figure cast in block tin for
Lord Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, (; 25 May 1713 – 10 March 1792), styled Lord Mount Stuart between 1713 and 1723, was a British nobleman who served as the 7th Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1762 to 1763 under George III. He was arguabl ...
won a gold medal at the 1900
Paris Exhibition
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
.
Other notable works from this period included ''Girl Binding her Hair'', 1893, ''The Elf'', 1898 and ''A Boy at Play'', 1895.
''A Boy at Play'' was subsequently purchased by the Chantrey Bequest for the
Tate
Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...
.
''The Elf'' was highly praised when shown at the
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...
in 1898 and was subsequently reproduced both in bronze and marble to become among John's most popular works.
John received gold medals from the Paris Salon in 1892 and, for his statue of the
Duke of Devonshire
Duke of Devonshire is a title in the Peerage of England held by members of the Cavendish family. This (now the senior) branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the wealthiest British aristocratic families since the 16th century and has be ...
, in 1901.
Major works
By the early 1900s John had established himself as a sculptor of some note and began to receive significant public commissions.
Although based in London, John won a number of large commissions in his native Wales. He designed the Hirlas Horn for the 1898
National Eisteddfod of Wales
The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh language, Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Eur ...
and a set of ceremonial tools to mark the building of the
National Museum Wales
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
in Cardiff.
For the monument, unveiled in 1899 and known as ''The Girl'', to Welsh poets and preachers at
Llansannan
Llansannan is a rural village and community (Wales), community in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It lies on the bank of the River Aled and is about 8 miles to the south of Abergele and to the west of Denbigh. The population was 1,291 in 2001, with ...
, John depicted a girl in modern clothing wrapped in a traditional Welsh cloak.
The creation of that monument had been promoted by the Welsh nationalist
Thomas Edward Ellis and when he died, also in 1899, John was selected to sculpt his memorial statue which was unveiled at
Bala in 1903 by
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during t ...
.
John's statue of the shipping magnate and philanthropist
John Cory
John Cory (18 March 1828 – 27 January 1910) was a British philanthropist, coal-owner and ship-owner. Cory Way is named after him in the eastern area of Barry Docks, which he was involved with building in the 1880s.
Family
John Cory was born ...
was erected in
Cathays Park
Cathays Park ( cy, Parc Cathays) or Cardiff Civic Centre is a civic centre area in the city centre of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, consisting of a number of early 20th century buildings and a central park area, Alexandra Gardens. It in ...
in the centre of Cardiff and is one of several statues by him in, or near, the park. These include the 1906 bronze statue of Lord Tredegar which was John's first equestrian statue.
His 1916 marble ''St David Blessing the People'' is also nearby in the Marble Hall of
Cardiff City Hall
City Hall ( cy, Neuadd y ddinas) is a civic building in Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales, UK. It serves as Cardiff's centre of local government. It was built as part of the Cathays Park civic centre development and opened in October 1906. Built of ...
.
John received a further number of national and international commissions, including several for war memorials. John's 1905
King's Regiment
The King's Regiment, officially abbreviated as KINGS, was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the King's Division. It was formed on 1 September 1958 by the amalgamation of the King's Regiment (Liverpool) which had been raised in 1685 ...
Boer War memorial in
St John's Gardens, Liverpool
St John's Gardens is an open space in Liverpool, England, to the west of St George's Hall, Liverpool, St George's Hall. The gardens are part of the William Brown Street conservation area, and comprise one of the two open spaces within Li ...
depicts two soldiers of the regiment from different historical periods, one from the 17th century and one from the
Boer War
The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...
period, around a figure of Britannia on a pedestal.
John created a similar representation of a regiment's heroic traditions for the 1924
Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers ( cy, Ffiwsilwyr Brenhinol Cymreig) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales' Division, that was founded in 1689; shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designated ...
memorial at Wrexham which features statues of 18th and 20th century soldiers.
On the reverse of the Liverpool monument is a sculpture featuring a regimental drummer boy of 1743. This was subsequently cast as a separate, small bronze in an edition for the retail market and became a popular purchase while a monumental version was also cast and is held by the National Museum Wales.
Before the outbreak of the First World War, John had been commissioned to create a memorial to the 244 engineers who had died with the sinking of the
RMS Titanic
RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...
in 1912.
When the monument was completed in 1916, and erected in Liverpool, it was dedicated to all engineers and engine room workers lost at sea, including those killed during the war.
John was commissioned by
Lord Leverhulme
William Hesketh Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme , (, ; 19 September 1851 – 7 May 1925) was an English industrialist, philanthropist, and politician. Having been educated at a small private school until the age of nine, then at church school ...
to design a memorial at
Port Sunlight
Port Sunlight is a model village and suburb in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside. It is located between Lower Bebington and New Ferry, on the Wirral Peninsula. Port Sunlight was built by Lever Brothers to accommodate workers in it ...
to the 500 plus employees of
Lever Brothers Ltd who had died in the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
John exhibited a variety of sketches and maquettes for the memorial at the Royal Academy in 1919 and 1920 but left the final selection of figures to Leverhulme.
The monument consists of a cross on an octagonal base on an elevated podium. There are large bronze sculptural groups with a total of 11 figures and 12 relief panels on the podium. The main sculpture group shows three soldiers, one shielding a child and one lying wounded with a figure of a nurse approaching him.
The sculptural group on the rear of the podium consists of a mother figure with infants and other children. The relief panels on the podium sides show pairs of children carrying wreaths plus panels showing combat scenes including machine gunners in a trench and action stations on the bridge of a warship.
The monument was greatly praised for its depiction of military and civilian roles,
Nicholas Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner (30 January 1902 – 18 August 1983) was a German-British art historian and architectural historian best known for his monumental 46-volume series of county-by-county guides, ''The Buildings of England'' (1 ...
described the monument as "genuinely moving and avoids sentimentality".
The Port Sunlight memorial was unveiled in 1921, two years before John's
Northumberland Fusiliers Memorial
The Response 1914 (also known as the Northumberland Fusiliers Memorial) is a war memorial in the public gardens to the north of the Church of St Thomas the Martyr in Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, and to the west of Newcastle Civic Centre. ...
was erected in Newcastle upon Tyne. Known as "The Response 1914" the monument was commissioned to mark the raising of four battalions of volunteers by the local Chamber of Commerce at the start of World War I.
In bronze, John created a procession of deep-relief figures representing the volunteers and those they were leaving behind. The procession is led a winged angel, an allegory of renown, blowing a horn above two drummer boys followed by uniformed soldiers and men in civilian clothes, some of whom are saying goodbye to women and children.
Although created several years after the end of the war, the monument illustrates the mood of patriotic confidence and resolve that had marked a period at the start of the conflict ten years earlier and makes the work deeply poignant.
Writing in 1991,
Alan Borg, a former director of the
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...
described the Port Sunlight and Newcastle memorials as the finest sculptural ensembles on any British monument.
Personal life
John was made a Royal Academician in 1909 and became a corresponding member of the
Institut de France
The (; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the Académie Française. It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institute m ...
.
He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in London in 1886 and continued to do so annually until 1948.
In 1942 he was awarded the gold medal of the
Royal Society of Sculptors
The Royal Society of Sculptors is a British charity established in 1905 which promotes excellence in the art and practice of sculpture. Its headquarters are a centre for contemporary sculpture on Old Brompton Road, South Kensington, London. It ...
.
He was
knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
at
Caernarfon Castle
Caernarfon Castle ( cy, Castell Caernarfon ) – often anglicised as Carnarvon Castle or Caernarvon Castle – is a medieval fortress in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, north-west Wales cared for by Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environ ...
in 1911 during the investiture of
Edward VIII
Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 19 ...
as the Prince of Wales for which he designed elements of the regalia and a medal.
John was influential in the development of the National Museum of Wales, having served on its governing council for over forty years and donated numerous art works to the Museum.
In August 1890, John married the Swiss-born Marthe Weiss.
Their daughter Muriel married Frederick Luke Val Fildes, the son of the artist Sir
Luke Fildes
__NOTOC__
Sir Samuel Luke Fildes (3 October 1843 – 28 February 1927) was a British painter and illustrator born in Liverpool and trained at the South Kensington and Royal Academy Schools. He was the grandson of the political activist Mar ...
.
From 1892 John lived at Greville Road,
Kilburn, London
Kilburn is an area of north west London, England, which spans the boundary of three London Boroughs: London Borough of Camden, Camden to the east, City of Westminster, London Borough of Brent, Brent to the west. There is also an area in the City ...
(in a house that had previously belonged to
Seymour Lucas), and is buried in
Hampstead Cemetery
Hampstead Cemetery is a historic cemetery in West Hampstead, London, located at the upper extremity of the NW6 district. Despite the name, the cemetery is three-quarters of a mile from Hampstead Village, and bears a different postcode. It is j ...
. The memorial statue of his wife, which he designed when she died in 1923, was stolen from the cemetery in 2001 and recovered after a few months; it was then put into storage, but was stolen again in 2007.
Public monuments and memorials
1890–1899
1900–1909
1910–1919
1920–1929
1930 and later
Other works
![EB1911 Plate IV](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/EB1911_Plate_IV._v24%2C_pg.505%2C_Fig_10.jpg)
John exhibited medals on at least seven occasions at the Royal Academy between 1898 and 1918.
[ He designed the medal for the 1911 investiture of ]Edward VIII
Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 19 ...
as Prince of Wales and the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal
The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the accession of King George V.
Issue
This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir by King George V to commemorate his Silver J ...
in 1935. During his career John also produced medals and seals for several organisations in Wales. These included medal designs for the Cardiff School of Art and the Welsh Nursing Association plus seals for the National Museum Wales, the Merthyr Tydfil Corporation and the Church of Wales. For the National Eisteddfod Association he designed a medal with bardic images.
John's output was prolific and also includes monuments to Lord Salisbury
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (; 3 February 183022 August 1903) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom three times for a total of over thirteen y ...
in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
and at St Etheldreda's Church, Hatfield. John's output also included:
* Sculptures on Electra House in Moorgate, City of London, dating from 1900 to 1903 and representing Egypt, Japan, India and China.
* The work ''Grief'' dating to 1890.
* Figures of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra on the facade of the Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...
, 1906.
* Carved figures on a reredos in St John the Baptist Church, Cardiff.
* Designed the regalia for the investiture of the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
at Caernarfon in 1911.
* ''Merlin and Arthur'' (c. 1896), a bronze in the collection of the National Museum Wales which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1902.
* Memorial relief to Canon Guy D.D, (1897) in Llandaff Cathedral.
* Bust of the artist John Macallan Swan
John Macallan Swan (9 December 1846 – 14 February 1910) was an English painter and sculptor.
Biography
Swan was born in Brentford, Middlesex, on 9 December 1846. He received his art training first in England at the Worcester and Lambeth sc ...
.
* Bust of Frederick Stanley, Earl of Derby in Preston Town Hall
Preston Town Hall is a municipal building in Lancaster Road in Preston, Lancashire, England. The town hall, which is the headquarters of Preston City Council, is a Grade II listed building.
History
The first town hall was a medieval structure ...
.
* Bust of Lewis Morris
Lewis Morris (April 8, 1726 – January 22, 1798) was an American Founding Father, landowner, and developer from Morrisania, New York, presently part of Bronx County. He signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence as a delegate to the Continen ...
, exhibited in 1899 at the Royal Academy.
* Marble statue of Sir John Woodburn, erected Uttar Pradesh 1906, placed in storage at the Uttar Pradesh State Museum during 1958-59
* Marble statue of Sir Digbijai Singh, erected Lucknow 1907, moved to State Museum Lucknow
State Museum, Lucknow is a prominent museum located in the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, India. The museum is currently located in the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Gardens, Banarasi Bagh, Lucknow. The museum was established in 1863 from t ...
during 1981-82
* Bronze equestrian statue of Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto
Gilbert John Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto, (; 9 July 18451 March 1914), known as Viscount Melgund by courtesy from 1859 to 1891, was a British peer and politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the eighth since Canadi ...
, Viceroy of India, erected 1914 at Kolkata and subsequently moved to Barrackpore
Barrackpore (also known as Barrackpur) is a city and a municipality of urban Kolkata of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is also a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA ...
* 1915 memorial relief panel in copper and bronze to Sir Patrick Playfair, 1852-1915, St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata
St. Paul's Cathedral is a Church of North India (CNI) cathedral of Anglican background in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, noted for its Gothic architecture and dedicated to Paul the Apostle. It is the seat of the Diocese of Calcutta. The corne ...
References
External links
*
John, Sir William Goscombe (1860–1952) Article on Goscombe John's work with images
from The National Archives.
Works by John in the National Museum of Wales collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:John, Goscombe
1860 births
1952 deaths
19th-century British sculptors
19th-century Welsh male artists
20th-century British sculptors
20th-century Welsh male artists
Alumni of Cardiff School of Art and Design
Alumni of the City and Guilds of London Art School
Artists from Cardiff
Burials at Hampstead Cemetery
Knights Bachelor
Recipients of the Order of Leopold II
Royal Academicians
Welsh male sculptors
People associated with the Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales