Angel of Grief at Stanford University

The Stanford University grounds include an area of memorials for the Stanford Family, its founders.

Over the years vandals took possession of the original arm of the angel, also damaging the fingers and the wings.  An earlier restoration was damaged as well through the removal of a replacement arm yet again.

The restoration of the sculpture included a thorough documentation of the damage, cleaning and reshapung of all broken areas to support attachment of the new replacement pieces.  This process included carving of clean cut surfaces and delicate drilling of dowel holes.  After that, models needed to be created right on the sculpture to ensure matching dimensions and looks.  Original photographs assisted with the design.

The carving of the arm in matching Carrara Marble was done in-shop, followed by the installation at Stanford University.  Small details such as fingers and wing tips were carved on-site after attaching oversize marble pieces to the original sculpture.
After completion of all carvings and replacements, the new parts were rubbed with dirt, then the entire sculpture was cleaned to unify the looks of the old and new marble material.