Person    | Male  Born 23/2/1817  Died 1/7/1904

G. F. Watts

Categories: Art, Sculpture

Born in London. His piano-making father named him after Handel. Married briefly to Ellen Terry, many years his junior. 1886 married Mary Tytler. The statue 'Physical Energy' in Hyde Park is his. Leading supporter of the campaign against the use of birds' plumage in fashionable hats, a campaign which led to the creation of the Society for the Protection of Birds. Watts had a gallery built near Guildford for his work, which he opened in 1903. It is open to the public and still displays just his work, which we found of questionable quality. Much more interesting is the chapel, a short walk away, built by his wife, Mary, 1898-1904, well worth a visit.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
G. F. Watts

Commemorated ati

PP - GFW

We can find no maker, nor date for the erection of this memorial, but its pos...

Read More

PP - Watts relief

This looks as if it's carved wood but Bonhams says it's probably painted cera...

Read More

This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
G. F. Watts

Creations i

Lord Holland statue

Yet anonther lazy London statue - see Peabody for our log of all the seated s...

Read More

Physical Energy

{On a plaque laid into the ground in front of the statue:} George Frederic Wa...

Read More

PP - 3A - Griffin

Thomas Griffin, fitters labourer, April 12, 1899, in a boiler explosion at a ...

Read More

PP - 3B - Peart & Dean

The “fireman” on a steam train was the man who stoked the engine. You’ve seen...

Read More

PP - 3C - Rogers

The Stella was a passenger ferry in service with the London and South Western...

Read More

Other Subjects

National Gallery

National Gallery

In the late 1700s national galleries were all the rage in Europe. A number of countries nationalised their royal collections but the British government instead wanted to purchase a major collection...

Group, Art, History

2 memorials
Hablot Knight Browne, 'Phiz'

Hablot Knight Browne, 'Phiz'

Artist.  Born Lower Kennington Lane, exact date in doubt. Illustrated 10 of Dickens' books. Took the pseudonym Phiz to pair with Dicken's early pen-name, Boz.  Also worked for other novelists and f...

Person, Art

1 memorial
Barber Beaumont

Barber Beaumont

Army officer, painter, philanthropist. Born John Thomas Barber and in 1812 for no known reason, he added the name of Beaumont. He specialised in historical and portrait miniatures, and displayed at...

Person, Armed Forces, Art, Commerce

3 memorials
Pierre Rouve

Pierre Rouve

Diplomat, art critic, broadcaster, film producer and lecturer. Born Petar Christoff Ouvaliev in Sofia, Bulgaria. He came to Britain in 1947 as a diplomat. His extensive career in the British film i...

Person, Art, Cinema, TV & Radio, Balkans

1 memorial
Desmond Rochfort

Desmond Rochfort

Mural artist active in late 1970s - 1983.  Worked with Binnington on two murals at Royal Oak.

Person, Art

1 memorial