Public Monument and Sculpture Association National Recording Project
Bengal Tigress Photograph
Region ID | GW | |
Work ID | 69 | |
Manual Reference | WL/005 | |
Title | Bengal Tigress | |
Sculptor | Cain, August-Nicolas | |
Sculptor | J. & G. Mossman | |
Designer | Bonheur, Rosa | |
Date of design | 1866-67. | |
Year of unveiling | 1867. | |
Unveiling details | 27 September 1867. | |
Road | Park Terrace | |
Precise Location | Kelvingrove Park, east side, south of Park Terrace | |
A to Z Ref | 34 J14 | |
OS Ref | ||
Postcode | G3 | |
Work is | Extant | |
Listing Status | II* | |
Duty of Care | Glagow City Council. | |
Commissioned by | John S. Kennedy | |
Notes | ||
A Royal Bengal Tigress 'bringing the first food to its young'. (1) Bronze sculpture group of a Royal Bengal Tigress with her cubs and a dead Peacock in her mouth, on a pedestal of pink granite | ||
Commissioned and gifted to the city by John S. Kennedy in 1867 after seeing a model of the group in Auguste Cain's Paris studio. The group is based on an original sketch by Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899) of a Royal Bengal Tigress in the Jardin des Plantes, Paris, and was modelled by Cain for exhibiting in the Paris Exhibition of 1867. Costing £1000, the group was originally positioned a few metres to the east of its present location until the early 20th century. John S. Kennedy was a native of Glasgow residing in New York where also presented a copy of the group to the New York Zoo (2) | ||
circa | ||
raw year | 1867. | |
Condition | Poor | |
At risk | At Risk | |
Inscriptions | Incised Roman lettering on pedestal, south face: PRESENTED / TO HIS NATIVE CITY BY / JOHN KENNEDY / NEW YORK Incised on step: 1867 | |
Signatures | Incised cursive lettering on upper surface of statue plinth, at south west corner: A.CAIN 1866 / F.BARBEDIENNE FONDEUR PARIS | |
Elements
Element Details
Part of work | Material | Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
Sculpture | Bronze | |
Pedestal | Pink granite | |
Assessment of Condition
Surface Character
Detail | Comment |
|---|---|
Corrosion, Deterioration | Bronze patination |
Bird guano | On upper surfaces |
Abrasions, cracks, splits | The steps are splitting apart at the join |
Previous treatments | Re-bronzed c. 1886. |
Structural Condition
Structural Condition | Comment |
|---|---|
Broken, missing parts | The end of the tigress's tail is broken off |
Vandalism
Vandalism | Comment |
|---|---|
Graffiti | Paint in tigress's mouth and on pedestal |
