Series 1: Casts of navigators and explorers and Aboriginal Australians on bronze entrance doors of the Mitchell Library, ca. 1940 / manufactured by Wunderlich Ltd., from sculptures by Arthur Fleischmann and Ralph T. Walker

series

[ca. 1940]

9627901

Arthur Fleischmann was born in Bratislava in 1896, but lived most of his life in London. He studied medicine in Budapest and Prague and qualified as a medical doctor. Immediately after qualifying, he turned his attention and energy on sculpture and was awarded a scholarship to the Master School of Sculpture, Vienna.

He arrived in Sydney in 1939 where he stayed for 10 years, becoming part of the Merioola artist commune and establishing a connection with Australia that remained strong until his death in 1990. Other sculptures of Fleischmann's are also featured in the State Library of NSW including reliefs of David Scott Mitchell, Sir William Dixson and a perspex water sculpture entitled Tribute to the Discovery of DNA.

References
Arthur Fleischmann Foundation. http://www.fleischmann.org.uk/
A source of inspiration & delight : the buildings of the State Library of New South Wales since 1826 / David J. Jones. Sydney : Library Council of New South Wales, c1988.

Sub-series 1:
Casts of navigators and explorers and Aboriginal Australians on bronze entrance doors of the Mitchell Library, ca. 1940 / manufactured by Wunderlich Ltd., from sculptures by Arthur Fleischmann

Sub-series 2:
Cast of The guardian of the emu totem, Central Australia, for bronze entrance door of the Mitchell Library, ca. 1940 / manufactured by Wunderlich Ltd. from a sculpture by Ralph T. Walker

Research notes available in Mitchell Library Reading Room , PXn 343

Information transferred from pictures card catalogue as part of the eRecords Project, 2008-2009

Plaster patterns for these portraits, originally held by Wunderlich Ltd. who cast the bronze doors, are now held in the Mitchell Library. For location see list at PXn 343.

Many of the casts are damaged and pieces of plaster have broken off