William Robert Colton (25 December 1867 – 13 November 1921) was a British sculptor. After completing his studies in London and Paris, Colton established himself with solid, career-long business relationships, secured admission to exhibitions at the Royal Academy and the

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

in Paris. His works included commissions for

bust Bust commonly refers to: * A woman's breasts * Bust (sculpture), of head and shoulders * An arrest Bust may also refer to: Places * Bust, Bas-Rhin, a city in France *Lashkargah, Afghanistan, known as Bust historically Media * ''Bust'' (magazin ...

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

s and

war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

s. His clientele included royalty in England and India. During his career, Colton was a professor at the Royal Academy, president of the

Royal British 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 ...

and full member at the Royal Academy.

Early life

Colton was born in Paris on 25 December 1867.Epstein, M.A. (ed.) (1921). ''The Annual Register: A Review of Public Events at Home and Abroad for the year 1922.'' London: Longmans, Green and Company. p. 154. His father was an architect. In 1870 Colton left Paris for London.''William Robert Colton, Biography.''
Tate Collection. Retrieved 13 August 2012. He studied at the

Lambeth School of Art Founded in 1854 as the Lambeth School of Art, the City and Guilds of London Art School is a small specialist art college located in central London, England. Originally founded as a government art school, it is now an independent, not-for-profit ...

in England under

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 ...

''William Robert Colton, The Girdle.''
Tate Collection. Retrieved 13 August 2012. before enrolling as a student in 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 1889. At the Royal Academy, he was taught by

Henry Hugh Armstead Henry Hugh Armstead (18 June 18284 December 1905) was an English sculptor and illustrator, influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites. Biography Armstead was born at Bloomsbury in central London, the son of John Armstead, a chaser and heraldic engraver ...

and Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm.''William Robert Colton (1867-1921).''
The Victorian Web. Retrieved 13 August 2012. He also studied in Paris.

Career

Commissions

Within two years of his 20th birthday, Colton was exhibiting at both the Paris

and the

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 ...

and

Alfred Gilbert Sir Alfred Gilbert (12 August 18544 November 1934) was an English sculptor. He was born in London and studied sculpture under Joseph Boehm, Matthew Noble, Édouard Lantéri and Pierre-Jules Cavelier. His first work of importance was ''The Kis ...

provided inspiration for Colton's work. He received a commission from the

Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV (Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar; 4 June 1884 – 3 August 1940) was the twenty-fourth maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore, from 1902 until his death in 1940. He is popularly called ''Rajarshi'' ( sa, rājarṣi, lit ...

Maharajah of Mysore The maharaja of Mysore was the king and principal ruler of the southern Indian Kingdom of Mysore and briefly of Mysore State in the Indian Dominion roughly between the mid- to late-1300s and 1950. In title, the role has been known by differe ...

and continued to receive commissions from

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

throughout his career.''Chamaraja Circle | Everything about Mysore!''
Mysore.ind.in Retrieved 4 July 2012. Besides his engagements for work in England, Colton also received commissions for work in Australia and South Africa. On 21 January 1903 Colton was elected as an Associate to the Royal Academy. He became a full member sixteen years later in 1919 on 25 April. In 1921 he became the president of the

(RBS).

Education

From 1907 to 1911 he was Professor of Sculpture at the Royal Academy.

Works

Sculptures

This is a partial list of Colton's sculptures, busts and plaques.

War Memorials

Worcester Boer War Memorial

The Worcester Boer War Memorial, located in the grounds of

Worcester Cathedral Worcester Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Worcester, in Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified ...

, is a

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...

depiction of a hatless figure who is protected by an angel. The memorial consists of a three-stepped base surmounted by a

plinth A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In c ...

, pedestal and figure of a soldier of the Worcester Regiment kneeling as he prepares to fire his last cartridge. A winged figure said to represent "Immortality" stands above him with a

palm branch The palm branch is a symbol of victory, triumph, peace, and eternal life originating in the ancient Near East and Mediterranean world. The palm ''(Phoenix)'' was sacred in Mesopotamian religions, and in ancient Egypt represented immortality. In ...

in one hand, and in the other hand a sheathed sword with

laurel wreath A laurel wreath is a round wreath made of connected branches and leaves of the bay laurel (), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen, or later from spineless butcher's broom (''Ruscus hypoglossum'') or cherry laurel (''Prunus laurocerasus''). It is a sy ...

on it. The memorial is dedicated to the men of

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see His ...

killed in the

South African 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 ...

. It was unveiled on 23 September 1908 by Lt. Gen. the Hon. Sir N. G. Lyttleton. The monument was restored in 2005. File:Worcester War Memorial.jpg, Worcester Boer War Memorial

Royal Artillery Boer War Memorial

The Royal Artillery Boer War Memorial is on the corner of St James's Park in The Mall in central London. The memorial was designed by

Sir Aston Webb Sir Aston Webb (22 May 1849 – 21 August 1930) was a British architect who designed the principal facade of Buckingham Palace and the main building of the Victoria and Albert Museum, among other major works around England, many of them in par ...

and the bronze sculpture, including Pegasus and the two relief tablets, were executed by Colton. Completed in 1909 the composition was described by Colton as "War being controlled by peace, war being represented by a war horse & peace being a winged female figure." In the same letter Colton writes that the work "has become in a sense a part of the Queen Victoria Memorial Scheme." The pillars list the 1,078 men who died in the South African war of 1899-1902 and relief panels show the unit in action. The memorial was unveiled in 1920 by the Duke of Connaught, using an electronic remote control from a memorial service in St Paul's Cathedral. The memorial was erected by the officers and men of the Royal Artillery in memory of their honoured dead. The pedestal is in Portland stone and the sculpture, reliefs and panels with the names of those remembered, are all in bronze. File:Royal Artillery Boer War Memorial.jpg, Royal Artillery Boer War Memorial File:Another Colton relief close-up.JPG, Relief on the Royal Artillery Boer War Memorial. File:Colton relief Close-up.JPG, Relief on the Royal Artillery Boer War Memorial.

W. T. Wyllie Memorial

The W. T. Wyllie memorial in

Portsmouth Cathedral The Cathedral Church of St Thomas of Canterbury, commonly known as Portsmouth Cathedral, is an Anglican cathedral church in the centre of Old Portsmouth in Portsmouth, England. It is the cathedral of the Diocese of Portsmouth and the seat of ...

is positioned on the East wall of the Quire and east of the Corporation Pew and remembers the second son of William Lionel and Marion Amy Wyllie. William Thomas Wyllie served with the 2nd Durham Light Infantry and was killed in action at Montauban on the Somme on 19 July 1916. He was acting as a Brigade Major at the time and is buried in Mametz Cemetery. He left a widow and three children. The memorial features a sculptured figure in silhouette/high relief which lies along the bottom half. This figure is the dead body of an officer lying on his back, arms by his side. His shirt sleeves are rolled up and he wears braces, trousers and boots. His head rests on a cushion surrounded by a laurel wreath. The inscription is incised in white lettering along the top half of the memorial. The bronze founders were Messrs A. B. Burton. Image:Portsmouth Cathedral 1.JPG Image:Portsmouth Cathedral 2.JPG Image:Portsmouth Cathedral 3.JPG Image:Portsmouth Cathedral 4.JPG

Captain F C Selous DSO

The memorial tablet dedicated to Captain

Frederick Selous Frederick Courteney Selous, DSO (; 31 December 1851 – 4 January 1917) was a British explorer, officer, professional hunter, and conservationist, famous for his exploits in Southeast Africa. His real-life adventures inspired Sir Henry Rider ...

DSO is positioned at the head of the northwest staircase in the Central Hall of the

Natural History Museum, London The Natural History Museum in London is a museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum an ...

. The figure and plaque are in bronze and the tablet is in stone. The memorial consists of a cast bronze portrait of Captain Selous in uniform and carrying a rifle. This is set into a niche in the stone tablet. Below the niche is a bronze relief of lions. The inscriptions are arranged in two side panels in raised block lettering. The sculptor's name is placed at the bottom right. The inscription on the left panel reads ''Caption Frederick C. Selous D.S.O. Hunter Explorer and Naturalist.''. On the right panel ''Born 1851 Killed in action at Beho-Beho German East Africa 4 1 1917.''. Selous was buried in East Africa in what is now Tanzania. Image:Full view Selous bust.jpg, Selous memorial in the

Natural History Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...

Image:Relief on Selous memorial.jpg, Relief on Selous memorial

Boyd and Claud Alexander

St Dunstan's Church, Cranbrook St Dunstan's Church, also known as the Cathedral of the Weald, in Cranbrook, Kent, England, dates to the late 13th century. It is now Grade I listed. Its 74 feet-high tower, completed in 1425, has a wooden figure of Father Time and his s ...

, Kent, there is an alabaster memorial to Boyd and Claud Alexander who both died in Africa.

Boyd Alexander Lieutenant Boyd Alexander (16 January 1873 – 2 April 1910) was an English officer in the British Army, as well as an explorer and ornithologist. Early life Boyd was the oldest son (with a twin brother) of Lt Colonel Boyd Francis Alexander ...

served in the Rifle Brigade and was killed at Nyeri, Wadai, on 2 April 1910 and is remembered on the left side panel; Claud Alexander who served in the Scots Guards and died at Maifoni on 13 November 1904 is remembered on the right side panel. A representation of Africa in the form of a female figure holding arrows is positioned in the centre with busts of the two dead men on either side. The left hand panel includes representations of animals and trees and the right hand panel features a landscape scene. File:Boyd Alexander-Colton.JPG, Boyd Alexander

Staffordshire County War Memorial

The memorial, on Victoria Road,

Stafford Stafford () is a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies about north of Wolverhampton, south of Stoke-on-Trent and northwest of Birmingham. The town had a population of 70,145 in t ...

, was designed by Colton but his early death meant that the sculptor L. S. Merrifield had to complete the work. The memorial is dedicated to the soldiers from Staffordshire who died in service to their country during World War I. The memorial stands on a four-stepped base surmounted by two plinths and a column. In Colton's composition we see the figure of an angel with olive branch and a horse. This grouping is modelled after the Royal Artillery Boer War Memorial. There is a

Stafford knot The Stafford knot, more commonly known as the Staffordshire knot, is a distinctive three-looped knot that is the traditional symbol of the English county of Staffordshire and of its county town, Stafford. It is a particular representation of the s ...

on the front face of the pedestal. The memorial was completed in 1923, following Colton's death. The Earl of Dartmouth, whose son was one of the men memorialized by the monument, performed the unveiling.Noszlopy, George T. and Fiona Waterhouse. ''Public Sculpture of Staffordshire and the Black Country''. Liverpool University Press. pp. 128–129. . File:Stafford War Memorial.jpg, Staffordshire County War Memorial

Personal life

In 1902 Colton married Mignon Kroll de Laporte. Two daughters were born to the couple. Robert Colton died aged 53 on 13 November 1921 at St Mary Abbot's Place,

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...

. due to complications from a surgery approximately four weeks before his death.