A short, one-hour flight brought us to Australia’s capital, Canberra, where Sarah McHugh, Objects Conservator, and Lucina Ward, Senior Curator, International Art, welcomed the expanded team to the NGA’s spacious Objects Study Center. Jane, Evonne and Lisa were joined by the Grimwade’s Jonathan Kemp and Hohi Ikeda along with two graduate conservation students, Genevieve Sullivan and Camilla Norman, for the examination of a statuette of St. Agnes. Despite the 14-hour time difference, Branden Rizzuto directed the XRF analyses over Zoom.  

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Having just studied the MET’s version of St. Agnes two months earlier, we were taken by the fine finish of the NGA’s cast; most notably the meticulous work in the refinement of the wax inter-model, for example in the delicate fingers and toes, as well as the careful, extensive cold work in the final stages of production of the NGA’s bronze.  

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Lucina’s whirlwind tour of the NGA introduced us to the breathtaking brutalist building, the Sculpture Garden, and the impressive collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art followed by an inspiring insider's tour of Canberra. We only wish we could have stayed longer!