The Lost Bow statue

Cupid's missing bow

The Lost Bow by Albert Hemstock Hodge (1875-1918). c. 1910. This depiction of Cupid is another of Hodge's sculptures featuring children with an animal.

Ornamental sculpture on a pedestal situated at the head of the lake. Signed and dated Albert H Hodge, 12-3-10. Portland stone rectangular pedestal. Cast bronze statue of a putto, nude apart from a helmet, small cloak and quiver of arrows, sitting astride a large, naturalistically modelled vulture which has his how pinned beneath its talons. The vulture gazes backwards towards the putto whose raised hand holds an arrow with which to stab the bird. History: The sculpture is believed to have been commissioned by the painter and sculptor Sigismund Goetze (1866-1939) for his home and forms a pair with The Mighty Hunter (qv). It is known to have been presented to Queen Mary's Gardens in 1939 following their redesigning (which included a theatre and cafe) by Duncan Campbell, Superintendent of Regent's Park for the Ministry of Works. Goetze, who lived at Nuffield Lodge, commissioned and presented a number of features to Queen Mary's Gardens (qv), a practice his wife continued in other London parks after his death through her Constance Fund. Albert Hodge (1875-1918) began training in Glasgow as an architect but became a specialist in architectural sculpture, working for many important architects on prestigious commissions including the Victoria and Albert Museum, Glamorgan County Hall, Cardiff and reliefs on the Robert Burns Monument in Stirling.

This bronze depicts a muscular toddler in a helmet sitting on top of a vulture. At first glance It looks as if he is about to attack the vulture, the arrow which was once in his hand is now missing. We have to assume this is a Roman God.Cupid would be the first to come to mind with his arrows, but that hardly fits the warrior depicted in this scene.This is a Grade II listed bronze which was sculpted by Albert H Hodge (1875 - 1918) in 1910, and presented to the Royal Parks in 1939.