Possibly the oldest free-standing statue in Australia to be restored by Tasmanian conservators
The ‘piss-take’ statute, lovingly known as George, is set to be restored to its former glory by two skilled Tasmanian conservators.
Tasmania
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Two skilled conservators tasked with repairing one of the first freestanding sculptures in Australian colonial times say the historical “piss-take” is in remarkably good nick.
The 1.3m tall sandstone statue of a well-dressed colonial gentleman has long attracted controversy and laughter for its depiction of a man urinating, with historians theorising it is a satirical portrayal of the-then Van Diemen’s Land Lieutenant Governor George Arthur.
The statue was created in the 1830s by stonemason William Herbert and had been part of a private collection until it was donated to Hobart’s Maritime Museum in 2023.
The sculpture has a broken arm and damage from age and weather, which the Maritime Museum hoped to repair and bring the man lovingly named George back to his former glory.
“It’s definitely a hit with visitors and it’s a prominent part of Tasmanian history that we hoped to restore,” museum curator Camille Reynes.
With no qualified historical conservators in Tasmania, the Maritime Museum called upon staff from the University of Melbourne’s Grimwade Conservation Services to assist them in fixing George with the help of a grant.
“He is in pretty remarkable condition given he has been outside and in the weather and has seen very many homes,” Grimwade’s Principal Conservator of Objects Dr Evan Tindal.
“Really we only have two days off work to reattach his arm with pins and to then survey the total sculpture to repair light damge and wear to the exterior.
“It is made of sandstone which typically wears really easily - he’s in much better condition than other sculptures I have repaired.”
Among other quirky features like full lead plumbing for a water feature and six fingers on one hand, both Dr Tindal and Grimwade’s Conservator of Objects and Archaeology Marica Mucic said the depiction of a man urinating was not typical of its era.
“This is a very unique statue,” Ms Mucic said.
“It’s clear that its a bit of a jab, but it does speak to comedy and humour moving into art.”
Originally published as Possibly the oldest free-standing statue in Australia to be restored by Tasmanian conservators
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