3 July
SCULPTURE
Ellen Mary Rope
(1855-1934)
Child's
memorial, painted plaster
h 34.5, w 31 cm
This
modest plaster by Rope is a poignant reminder of the increase
in the production of war memorials during and shortly after the
First
World War, and occupied much of her sculptural output. However,
this plaster is probably a design for a memorial to a child,
reminding
us that infant mortality was also commemorated regularly during
the Victorian and early Edwardian period. It is also interesting
to
consider Rope's position as a female sculptor working
commercially
in this field. Presumably, her `feminine' credentials were
considered
not only appropriate, but desirable, when it came to producing
memorials for children and victims of war.
