Client
Sheppard Pratt Hospital
Project Date
2014
Category
History
Spring’s Embrace is a sculpture given by Dr. Robert and Diane Gibson to Sheppard Pratt Hospital, a psychiatric hospital founded in a northern suburb of Baltimore in 1853. The sculpture was designed and created in 2000 by Rodney Carroll, a sculptor known for large, abstract metal pieces. The artist attended Rinehart School of Sculpture at the Maryland Institute College of Art and has lived in Maryland ever since. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971.
Description
The sculpture was examined and recommendations were made by conservators to treat the sculpture for its longterm preservation. This involved consultation with a living artist as well as the owners of the piece. The existing mild steel and bronze were conserved by mechanical removal of corrosion. Both patinas on the bronze and the steel were then reinstated using chemical methods. The metallic elements were then coated with both a lacquer and a wax coating. In addition to the metal elements, the cast stone pedestal was also conserved. Recommendations were made for continued maintenance of the sculpture.