Percival Ball facts for kids

Percival Ball (born February 17, 1845 – died April 4, 1900) was an English sculptor who created many artworks in Australia. He was known for his beautiful marble sculptures.

Early Life and Training

Percival Ball was born in Westminster, London, England. His father, Edward Henry Ball, was a carver. Percival studied art at the Royal Academy of Arts schools in England. He was very talented and won several gold medals and other prizes for his work. Between 1865 and 1882, he showed 24 of his sculptures at Royal Academy exhibitions.

Around 1870, Ball traveled to Paris, then to Munich, and finally to Rome, Italy. He lived in Rome for about eight years, where his marble sculptures became very famous and received high praise.

Moving to Australia

In 1884, Percival Ball moved to Sydney, Australia. He was looking for a warmer climate because he suffered from asthma and bronchitis, and he hoped the change would help his health. After six months in Sydney, he moved to Melbourne.

In Melbourne, he set up his art studio at Grosvenor Chambers in 1889. He soon became a very busy artist.

Important Sculptures in Australia

Percival Ball created many important statues and busts (sculptures of a person's head and shoulders) in Australia:

• Sir Redmond Barry: One of his first big projects was finishing the statue of Sir Redmond Barry. The original artist had passed away, so Ball took over. This statue now stands in front of the public library in Melbourne.
• Sir William Wallace: He was also asked to sculpt a statue of Sir William Wallace for Ballarat.
• Francis Ormond: Another important work was the statue of Francis Ormond in Melbourne.
• Portrait Busts: Ball also created several portrait busts, which are now kept in the national gallery in Melbourne.
• Bishop James Moorhouse: In 1886, he was hired to create a marble bust of Bishop James Moorhouse. This bust is now at the La Trobe Library.

In 1898, the trustees of the national gallery in Sydney asked him to design a special panel for the front of their building. He completed a relief panel called Phryne before Praxiteles. A relief panel is a type of sculpture where the figures stick out from a flat background. After finishing it, he traveled back to England to make sure the panel was cast correctly.

Later Life and Legacy

Percival Ball's architectural sculptures (artworks that are part of buildings) can also be seen at the Victoria and Albert Museum in England. He passed away in England in 1900 from heart failure, which was made worse by his asthma and bronchitis. His works are still admired today in Australia and England.