Darwin the Geologist

If you look over the barrier to the left of the main entrance at the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, you might see a mysterious cloth-wrapped lump suspended three metres above the gallery floor. This is the museum’s new bust of Charles Darwin, veiled and awaiting the grand opening of the Darwin the Geologist exhibition.

The statue is the work of Anthony Smith a 23-year-old ex-Cambridge student. Anthony took up sculpting as a hobby after studying Zoology at Christ’s College. The bust is based on a full life-sized sculpture commissioned by Christ’s College for their gardens. It is 1.5 times life size and made of bronze.

We are used to seeing Darwin as he appears on the £10 note – a dour old gentleman naturalist with the weight of the world in his stare. This sculpture aims to capture the youthful energy of the young Charles Darwin as he set off on the voyage of HMS Beagle. It will be uncovered when the exhibition opens on the 7^th July.