BALL, Percival (1844-1900)

sculptor

was born in 1844. He studied at the Royal Academy schools and between 1865 and 1882 exhibited 24 works at Royal Academy exhibitions. He came to Australia in 1886 and completed the statue of Sir Redmond Barry (q.v.) which now stands in front of the public library at Melbourne. The original sculptor, James Gilbert, had died after modelling the statue in clay. Ball was given other commissions, including the statue of Sir William Wallace at Ballarat, Francis Ormond (q.v.) at Melbourne, and some portrait busts, now in the national gallery at Melbourne. In 1898 he was commissioned by the trustees of the national gallery at Sydney to design a panel for the facade of the building. He completed his design "Phryne before Praxiteles" and then left for England to superintend the casting. He died there in 1900.

W. Moore, The Story of Australian Art, vol. 11, p. 83; A. Graves, The Royal Academy Exhibitors; Catalogue, National Art Gallery of New South Wales, 1928; E. La T. Armstrong, The Book of the Public Library, Museums, and National Gallery of Victoria, 1856-ig06.