Harold Parker
Encyclopedia
Harold Parker was a British
-born sculptor
, raised in Australia
and subsequently working in the UK.
His family moved to Brisbane, Australia in 1876 He studied at the Brisbane Technical College under John A Clarke and Godfrey Rivers, then in 1896 left for London
where he studied under William Silver Frith
, then worked as assistant to Thomas Brock
, Hamo Thornycroft
and Goscombe John
.
He rented a studio near that of fellow sculptor John Tweed, and from 1903 to 1929 regularly exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and occasionally at the Old Salon, Paris
. He was commissioned to portray Queensland expatriates and became a rival of Bertram Mackennal. In 1906 he was elected a member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors. The triumph of his career came in 1908 when for £1000 the Chantrey Bequest purchased his 'Ariadne' for the Tate Gallery
. In 1910 his 'Prometheus Bound' received a 'mention' at the Salon.
In 1911 the newly married Harold Parker visited Brisbane and was received enthusiastically, but apart from his First Breath of Spring to the Queensland National Art Gallery, sold none of his work. Back in London he received a major commission, a group of figures outside Australia House
.
In 1930 he and his wife settled in Brisbane where, overlooked for major commissions, he withdrew from public life, virtually abandoning sculpture for painting. He was a founding member of the Australian Academy of Art in 1937
In 1993 a retrospective of his work entitled Harold Parker, Sculptor, was held at the Queensland Art Gallery
, Brisbane
. Artworks by Harold Parker are on display at the Queensland Art Gallery.
A 1907? portrait by James Peter Quinn hangs in the National Library of Australia
.
Parker died in 1962 and was buried in South Brisbane Cemetery
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-born sculptor
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, raised in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and subsequently working in the UK.
His family moved to Brisbane, Australia in 1876 He studied at the Brisbane Technical College under John A Clarke and Godfrey Rivers, then in 1896 left for London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where he studied under William Silver Frith
William Silver Frith
William Silver Frith 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 London Technical Art School...
, then worked as assistant to Thomas Brock
Thomas Brock
Sir Thomas Brock KCB RA was an English sculptor.- Life :Brock was born in Worcester, attended the School of Design in Worcester and then undertook an apprenticeship in modelling at the Worcester Royal Porcelain Works. In 1866 he became a pupil of the sculptor John Henry Foley. He married in 1869,...
, Hamo Thornycroft
Hamo Thornycroft
Sir William "Hamo" Thornycroft, RA was a British sculptor, responsible for several London landmarks.-Biography:...
and Goscombe John
Goscombe John
Sir William Goscombe John R.A. , was a Welsh sculptor.-Biography:He was born in Canton, Cardiff and as a youth assisted his father, Thomas John, a wood carver, in the restoration of Cardiff Castle...
.
He rented a studio near that of fellow sculptor John Tweed, and from 1903 to 1929 regularly exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and occasionally at the Old Salon, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He was commissioned to portray Queensland expatriates and became a rival of Bertram Mackennal. In 1906 he was elected a member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors. The triumph of his career came in 1908 when for £1000 the Chantrey Bequest purchased his 'Ariadne' for the Tate Gallery
Tate Gallery
The Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
. In 1910 his 'Prometheus Bound' received a 'mention' at the Salon.
In 1911 the newly married Harold Parker visited Brisbane and was received enthusiastically, but apart from his First Breath of Spring to the Queensland National Art Gallery, sold none of his work. Back in London he received a major commission, a group of figures outside Australia House
Australia House
The High Commission of Australia in London is housed in Australia House, a building that also accommodates other Australian federal and state government agencies, including the Menzies Centre for Australian Studies, part of King's College London....
.
In 1930 he and his wife settled in Brisbane where, overlooked for major commissions, he withdrew from public life, virtually abandoning sculpture for painting. He was a founding member of the Australian Academy of Art in 1937
In 1993 a retrospective of his work entitled Harold Parker, Sculptor, was held at the Queensland Art Gallery
Queensland Art Gallery
The Queensland Art Gallery is part of the Queensland Cultural Centre, and is located nearest to Brisbane River at South Bank...
, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. Artworks by Harold Parker are on display at the Queensland Art Gallery.
A 1907? portrait by James Peter Quinn hangs in the National Library of Australia
National Library of Australia
The National Library of Australia is the largest reference library of Australia, responsible under the terms of the National Library Act for "maintaining and developing a national collection of library material, including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Australia and the...
.
Parker died in 1962 and was buried in South Brisbane Cemetery
South Brisbane Cemetery
The South Brisbane Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery located in South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, adjacent to the Brisbane River. It is adjacent to Dutton Park and consequently is often called Dutton Park Cemetery. The cemetery was established in 1866 and remained in active use until the...
.