Emil Hermann Todt (born 1810 or 1811; died 10 July 1900) was a German botanical artist and sculptor who was active in Australia from the 1850s to the 1880s.
Described at the time as "nothing short of genius of a high order", it is now held by the National Gallery of Victoria, and has recently been described in the following terms:[1] The sculpture possesses a resonance and monumentality beyond its diminutive size, and stands as one of the masterpieces of nineteenth-century Australian sculpture.The Gold Diggers was exhibited at the Victorian Exhibition, attracting for Todt a number of commissions, including a Madonna and Child for the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Melbourne.
[1] During the 1860s, Todt made coloured, life-sized fruits and vegetables for display at the International Exhibitions at London in 1862 and at Dublin in 1865.
In 1882, during the preparation of the work, von Mueller named Eucalyptus todtiana (coastal blackbutt) in honour of Todt,[2] stating:[3] ... this species bears the name of Mr Emil Todt, whose artistic talent became devoted only to illustrating plants at a venerable age, when most of those engaged in such pursuits, have ceased to work professionally.
Therefore all the more praise is due to this gentleman for the youthful ardour, which he still brought to bear on the extensive furtherance of the present publication.Two years later, the work was published, with Todt's contribution being over seventy lithographed illustrations.