Venus and Cupid

Adams was a pupil of William Wyon (lot 234) at the Royal Mint, London. He later worked on the reliefs in Trafalgar Square. Thomas Stainton wrote in his introduction to the Medal Catalogue of the exhibition British Sculpture 1850-1914 at the Fine Art Society (September - October 1972), 'The Engraver-Medallists tended to continue rigidly in the style formulated by Pistrucci (1784-1855) and William Wyon, and owing much to the traditions of coinage. Some of their work, notably those ... by the firm of Wyon and by G.G. Adams, reach a high level of craftsmanship; and the compositions of their groups and allegories are perfect things of their kind.'