Learned grotesques.
Sandstone carvings/Grotesques on the walls of the Great Court of the University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane.
"More than 1,200 stone carvings can be found on the walls and columns of the Great Court, comprising a variety of subjects and artistic styles.
In 1939, the original planners engaged the first University Sculptor, John Theodore Muller (1873–1953), to “alleviate the severe simplicity of the outer walls” of the Great Court.
Muller and his associates created several hundred carvings in a range of styles, depicting events from Queensland’s history; flora and fauna; Indigenous life; and coats of arms – as determined by the architects.
Scholarly figures from history were also crafted, including William Shakespeare, Charles Darwin, Confucius and Plato.
Following Muller’s death in 1953, work on the Great Court carvings languished for more than two decades.
Then in 1976, the University Senate ran a competition to select a new University Sculptor and Dr Rhyl Kingston Hinwood AM (1940–) won the prize. Over the next 35 years, she too completed several hundred diverse carvings, mostly of her own design.
Possibly the most popular of all the carvings, the projecting sculptures on the cloister walls were created to introduce an element of humour to the Great Court and include UQ academics, fictional literary characters and other mythical creatures (note: despite some having open mouths, the grotesques are not gargoyles, which are water spouts for carrying away rainwater)."
Learned grotesques.
Sandstone carvings/Grotesques on the walls of the Great Court of the University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane.
"More than 1,200 stone carvings can be found on the walls and columns of the Great Court, comprising a variety of subjects and artistic styles.
In 1939, the original planners engaged the first University Sculptor, John Theodore Muller (1873–1953), to “alleviate the severe simplicity of the outer walls” of the Great Court.
Muller and his associates created several hundred carvings in a range of styles, depicting events from Queensland’s history; flora and fauna; Indigenous life; and coats of arms – as determined by the architects.
Scholarly figures from history were also crafted, including William Shakespeare, Charles Darwin, Confucius and Plato.
Following Muller’s death in 1953, work on the Great Court carvings languished for more than two decades.
Then in 1976, the University Senate ran a competition to select a new University Sculptor and Dr Rhyl Kingston Hinwood AM (1940–) won the prize. Over the next 35 years, she too completed several hundred diverse carvings, mostly of her own design.
Possibly the most popular of all the carvings, the projecting sculptures on the cloister walls were created to introduce an element of humour to the Great Court and include UQ academics, fictional literary characters and other mythical creatures (note: despite some having open mouths, the grotesques are not gargoyles, which are water spouts for carrying away rainwater)."