Head of Venus
1958
Medium
bronze
Measurements
23.5 × 19.1 × 19.0 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1958
© GWG Bow
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
After winning the Archibald Prize for portraiture in 1950, Melbourne-born Ian Bow moved away from painting and began to focus on sculpture. Known for his versatility and technical invention, Bow developed his own methods of lost-wax casting, experimenting with a range of metals from traditional bronze to aluminium.
He worked on numerous public commissions, including a relief sculpture for the Hamilton Art Gallery, Victoria, and the Capitol House fountain in Melbourne. He was featured in the Mildura Sculpture Triennial from its inception in 1961 until 1970. In 1975 Bow’s eyesight began to fail, and he died in Melbourne in 1989.
