John Charles Felix Rossi facts for kids
John Charles Felix Rossi (born March 8, 1762 – died February 21, 1839), often known as Charles Rossi, was a famous English sculptor. He created many important statues and decorations for buildings.
Contents
About Charles Rossi's Life
His Early Years and Learning
Charles Rossi was born in Nottingham on March 8, 1762. His father, Ananso, came from Siena, Italy, and worked as a doctor who wasn't officially trained. The family later moved to London.
In London, a sculptor named Giovanni Battista Locatelli stayed with Rossi's family. Later, Rossi became Locatelli's student. After finishing his training, he worked for Locatelli for a while. Then, he found a better job at Coade and Seeley's, a company that made artificial stone.
In 1781, Rossi joined the Royal Academy Schools, which is a famous art school. He quickly won awards, including a silver medal in 1781 and a gold medal in 1784 for a sculpture called Venus conducting Helen to Paris. In 1785, he won a special scholarship that allowed him to travel to Rome for three years. While in Rome, he made marble sculptures of Mercury and Eve.
Working with Porcelain and Artificial Stone
After returning from Italy in 1788, Rossi started making figures for the Derby porcelain factory. He even made some figures based on drawings by a clockmaker named Benjamin Vulliamy.
Around 1790, Rossi started his own business with John Bingley, a mason from London. They made art from a material similar to terracotta or artificial stone. One of their projects was creating statues of Music and Dancing for the Assembly Rooms in Leicester in 1796. Rossi later said he lost a lot of money in this business, and the partnership ended in 1800.
Between 1798 and 1810, Rossi rented a workshop in Marylebone Park, which is now Regent's Park. In 1800, he built an artificial stone "Hindu temple" at Melchet Park. It was a tribute to Warren Hastings and included a bust of him. Rossi also used artificial stone for a huge statue of Minerva for the dome of Liverpool Town Hall between 1800 and 1802.
Becoming a Royal Academician
Rossi became a member of the Royal Academy in 1798. He became a full academician in 1802. His special artwork for the Academy was a marble bust of George Dance, made in 1827.
Famous Monuments in St Paul's Cathedral
In the early 1800s, Rossi received several important jobs to create monuments for military and naval heroes. These monuments were placed in St. Paul's Cathedral. Some of his works there include monuments for Captain Robert Faulkner (1803), Marquis Cornwallis (1811), Lord Rodney (1811–15), and General Le Marchant (1812).
These sculptures were very grand and detailed. For example, the monument to Marquis Cornwallis shows him standing on a platform above three figures. These figures represent Britannia (a symbol of Britain) and two rivers, showing the British Empire in Asia. In the monument for Captain Faulkner, the god Neptune is shown saving a dying sailor, while Victory is about to crown him with a laurel wreath. Lord Rodney's monument includes figures representing Fame and History. Rossi also created a monument for Captain James Robert Mosse and Captain Edward Riou in the crypt of St Paul's.
Sculptures for Buildings
In 1809, Rossi worked with another sculptor, John Flaxman, on two decorative carvings called friezes for the outside of the Covent Garden Theatre. Rossi carved one of them, called Ancient Drama, from Flaxman's design. For the other, Modern Drama, Rossi used Flaxman's drawings to create his own model before carving it in stone. He also made a seven-foot-tall statue of Tragedy for the theater.
Rossi and his son Henry also worked on the St Pancras New Church (1819–22). They made the door frames, decorative tops of columns (capitals), and other terracotta decorations. They were paid £4300 for this work. The church used a special terracotta material that Rossi invented, which people hoped would be as strong as ancient materials. These decorations included two sets of caryatids, which are sculpted female figures used as columns. These were inspired by ancient Greek sculptures.
His Opinion on the Elgin Marbles
In 1816, Rossi was asked to share his opinion on the Elgin Marbles. These were sculptures from the Parthenon in Greece that Lord Elgin had brought to Britain. Rossi told a committee that these were the best sculptures he had ever seen. He even thought they were better than other famous ancient statues like the Apollo Belvedere and the Laocoön.
Later Years and Legacy
Rossi owned a large house in Lisson Grove. By 1817, he was having money problems and rented part of his house to the painter Benjamin Robert Haydon.
During the 1820s, Rossi received more important jobs. He made another monument for St Paul's Cathedral, this time for Lord Heathfield (1823–25). The Earl of Egremont asked Rossi to create several artworks for Petworth House. These included Celadon and Amelia (around 1821) and the British Pugilist or Athleta Britannicus (1828). This was a nearly two-meter-tall marble statue of a boxer, carved from a single piece of marble. He also made a statue of the poet Thomson for Sir Robert Peel.
The Prince Regent (who later became King George IV) appointed Rossi as his sculptor. Rossi worked on decorating Buckingham Palace, making fireplaces and friezes (decorative bands). He also created sculptures for the Marble Arch, which was originally an entrance to the palace. Some of his work for the arch was later used on the new National Gallery. Rossi also served as the official sculptor to King William IV.
In his later years, Rossi faced health issues and financial difficulties. He stopped showing his work at the Royal Academy after 1834. In 1835, he sold the artworks remaining in his studio. He retired from the Royal Academy with a pension shortly before he died on February 21, 1839, in St John's Wood. An article at the time noted that "Mr Rossi has bequeathed to his family nothing but his fame." He was married twice and had eight children with each wife. He was buried in the burial ground of St James's Church, Piccadilly, near Camden Town, London.
