In 1900 the Trustees decided to beautify the façade of the Gallery. Perceval Ball suggested that the empty panels should be filled with bas-reliefs illustrating the arts and industries. It was later decided to depict the various eras of art. At a meeting of the Board on 26 March 1903 Eccleston Du Faur, President of the Trustees, suggested that a series of six panels be designed depicting the six 'distinctive historical art periods' of the Assyrian, Egyptian, Grecian, Roman, Gothic and Renaissance. Bronze was chosen as the medium, as it was decided that marble caught too sharply the glare of sunlight.
In the same year the Trustees organised a competition for the first two panels. The instructions to competitors were as follows 'For the two panels now open to competition, it is desired that subjects typical of Assyrian and Egyptian Art be chosen, as it is the intention of the Trustees to form eventually a complete series of the chief historic phases of Art; and it is desired that in general treatment the designs should harmonize with the panel already fixed and with the architecture of the building.'
Only four of the six intended bronze relief panels were ever completed. They are set high on the south half of the front elevation, and beside them are two empty panels. Six empty panels are found on the corresponding north half of the front elevation. The four completed reliefs are subjects from [left to right] Assyria, Egypt, Greece and Rome. The uncompleted reliefs were presumably intended to continue this sequence of major civilizations. At first sight the completed reliefs appear to relate to the bronze names of artists on the entablature, but this is misleading, as there is no significant relation between the artists' names and the reliefs. Three of these panels won prizes in a bas-relief competition.
Moving to the right from the Gallery entrance :
The first two panels were selected by Alfred East and George Frampton from designs invited by the Trustees in 1903:
Assur-Natsir-Pal, King of Assyria by the English sculptor Gilbert Bayes [1872-1953]. Bayes was awarded £50 for this work. The panel is dated 1906. It was cast in England and placed in position in February 1907. It depicts the visit of Sennacherib, King of Assyria, and his Queen to view the progress of the building of his palace at Koyounjik [or Kongjunjk].
Queen Hatasu of Egypt by the English sculptor Countess Feodora Gleichen [-1922]. Gleichen was awarded £50 for this work. The panel is dated 1906. It was cast in England and placed in position in March 1908. It depicts Queen Hatasu giving directions for the construction of her famous avenue of Ram-headed Sphinxes. This avenue extended from her temple, Der-el-Bahari, to the bank of the Nile, and thence to the farther shore of the Temple of Karnak, thus forming a connecting link between the two. The bas-relief shows the Queen in the act of examining a plan unfolded before her by the architect kneeling at her feet. With a strong hand gesture she indicates her will. James White, a Sydney sculptor, was awarded a second prize of £25 for a panel depicting Thothmes visiting the Temple of Denderah.
Phyrne before Praxiteles by the English sculptor Percival Ball [1844-1900]. Ball lived in Australia from 1886 -- 1899. This panel was designed and modelled in Sydney in 1899 and cast in England. The panel is not dated, but labelled as of 1900. It was placed in position on 27 March 1903.
Augustus at Nimes by the English sculptor William Reid Dick [1879-1961]. This panel is not dated, but labelled as of 1931. It was the gift of the Art Gallery Trustee and Sydney architect Sir John Sulman. It was placed in position in December 1931.
(Research by Steven Miller, Archivist) | 
