Sir William Blackstone 1923

Paul Wayland Bartlett crafted this bronze sculpture of Sir William Blackstone, and I can just imagine the artist, locked away in his studio, wrestling with the weight and heft of the material, trying to shape it, coax it, into the form he envisions. Look at the surface, that rich dark bronze. Feel how Bartlett has worked it, coaxing out the details of Blackstone's robes, the heavy folds of fabric that seem to cascade down his figure. You can almost feel the weight of the wig and book he is holding. The book is held with such purpose. I wonder if he had to prop that book up for the sculpture to have a guide. I like to think about other sculptors, like Rodin, who also grappled with bronze, pushing its limits, finding new ways to express emotion and movement. It's like they're all having a conversation across time, each artist building on what came before, challenging and inspiring one another.