Statue of Meditation

As well as the Conservatory Fountain, as you walk outside of the back of the Fitzroy Gardens' Conservatory, you'll see a large statue, of a draped form, representing one woman in meditative introspection, depicting meditation. Cloaked in white marble, this statue is known as the Statue of Meditation, and is the work of the French sculptor Robert Delandere. Originally, it was exhibited in the Grande Palais, Paris. An Australian, Madame Gaston-Saint, married a wealthy Frenchman and imported the statue from France as a memorialto her father in the small Victorian town of Rheola. However, instead she presented it to the Melbourne City Council on 24 April, 1933.

Given its size and form and that it was originally acquired as a cemetery memorial, some, like me, will possibly find it hard to see how the Statue of Meditation fits in with the Fitzroy Gardens' Conservatory or for that matter, the Fitzroy Gardens themselves. Rather than meditation it brings grief, sorrow and sadness to my mind, the epitome of grief etched in stone. Well that's my take on it. Look, don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful statue, but I'm not with it's location. Yes, at least it's a pleasant location and I guess the gardens are just the perfect place for meditation.