Week Seven

This week I continued working with the sculptures. First was the Pilgrim at the Gates, one of my favorite sculptures we have at the Gardens. It depicts an ascetic pilgrim knocking at the gates of what would presumably be heaven. The size of the sculpture alone is impressive but after detailing it and waxing the piece, I really came to appreciate the attention to detail Polasek paid to his work. The garment the pilgrim wears around his waist moves in an almost lifelike fashion and his solemn expression conveys a distinct feeling of resolution. Up next was the bronze casting of Pan, the mythological Greek god. The statue is in fair condition but the weather has certainly degraded the quality of the bronze over time and a new wax coat in addition to scrubbing off dirt and scum was needed.