english sculpture

Sir William Reid Dick

2007-06-14T16:58:00.002+01:00

Thank you Michael Copeland for this photo above.

King Edward VIII

Sir William Reid Dick, RA 1878-1961

He also did a beautiful portrait of The Princess Elizabeth (Now Our Queen)

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/eGallery/object.asp?maker=REIDDICKW&object=101408&row=0

He is one of Chris Miller’s yellow names on the 20th century figure sculpture website. He was a Scottish sculptor from Glasgow who produced some wonderful work. I have been searching the web and books for examples of his work and found very little, made more frustrating by the long lists of works it is known he has done.

Silence

Girl

The Man Child

The Catapult

(Each mounted differently)

But finally I am going to break a golden rule. I am going to offer you this delightful one below knowing I may be wrongly attributing it to him.

I do so on the flimsiest of evidence; this following description of the work "Kelpie" dated 1920

...much praised has been his work “Kelpie” a girl sitting on a rock cross-legged, her left hand resting on the rock and supporting the body inclined backwards, the right arm bent, the elbow resting on the right thigh, the hand raised to the chin....

I know, it seems that the arms are reversed and the legs are only just crossed and she is hardly leaning back. I hope if wrong someone will let me know.

Ulf tells me I have got this wrong. It is titled 'Childhood of Cain' by Antonio Teixeira Lopez, 1890, and is indeed an excellent work. More detail on the comments by Ulf.

So can anyone help me on Kelpie?

Alfred Turner

2007-06-04T15:43:00.000+01:00

A beautiful but very different relief

Brock and Gilbert's genius

2007-03-08T09:56:00.000Z

Both of these works have been shown before here on English Sculpture. These are better pictures and from more than one angle.

“Eve” by Sir Thomas Brock, R.A.

“Mother And Child, Reading Lesson” by Sir Alfred Gilbert, R.A.

These are good examples of the genius of English sculptors that have been so overlooked by the world in recent years.

The presence they have is awe inspiring.

On a technical point -

Taking good pictures of sculpture is challenging. The back ground is eliminated by our brains but the camera will not do that. Lighting marble is no problem but again we have the problem of what the eye sees and what the camera sees. I have cut one out for you and given you two different lighting shots to illustrate this. Keeping the camera steady is also a problem, no flash no tripod. Flash would distort the lighting so carefully arranged by the staff of the V & A.

Alfred Turner (1874-1940)

2007-03-02T14:13:00.000Z

As a first and introductory sample of what is to come here, I present from my visit to The Victoria and Albert Museum in London;

"Mother and Child" by Alfred Turner,

Two beautiful faces, the mother’s left hand, all four legs and feet, texture contrast, so simple.

The lack of shoulders so typical of a certain style pre 1950 adds to the relaxed aura, and slightly reminisent of a Gill which will come next.

The little boy’s demeanour is classically accurate and perfectly executed.

I love this work, it is just exquisite. Yes I could live with it in my home!

I must at this point pay tribute to the staff of the V&A for what is an excellent exhibition;

and a very grateful thanks to the Hintze family charitable foundation, The American Friends of the V&A and Mr and Mrs MD Moross who have funded it.

I highly recommend a visit.

Edwin Roscoe Mullins

2007-02-14T22:36:00.000Z

Here as promised are a few pictures of Edwin Roscoe Mullins' work. I "discovered him" or at least his work in Dorchester, a fine Memorial portrait of William Barnes, poet above.

Alfred Bertram Pegram

2007-02-05T13:34:00.000Z

A. Bertram Pegram was a friend of my Grandfather. They were at the Royal Academy Schools together

and were together at the unveiling of Pegram's Statue above to Sir Thomas Browne in Norwich in 1905 on the 300th anniversary of Browne's birth. (see my Dorset sculpture blog of a painting in St.Peter Mancroft by Harry R Mileham; "Wist ye not".)

Here is a good picture from the Peter Nahum at the Leicester Galleries. http://www.leicestergalleries.com/provenart/dealer_stock_details.cgi?d_id=253&a_id=13521

Here is The Welsh War Memorial in Cardiff by Mr. Alfred Bertram Pegram. Quite a substantial work!

One day Chris I will go there and take a better picture!

My brother has some small plaster copies of his work given to my Grandfather. Here is one of them. Rather a strange subject but probably very innocent. It rested on my Grandfather's desk and my Father's ever since I can remember.

More to follow do come back soon.

Sir George Frampton RA PRBS

2007-01-29T13:58:00.002Z

Sir George Frampton
Frampton’s best known work is probably Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. It is hidden in a small dip at a junction of paths and can’t be seen from very far away. That is fine for intimate viewing but it is so easy to miss it altogether. In fact although there are a few sign posts, unless you were looking for it the chances are you would miss it which, believe me, would be a pity.

I have added a picture of the smaller version.

I like the monument to WS Gilbert (of Gilbert and Sullivan) surrounded by adoring women

and the Monument to Quintin Hogg below.

see http://www.artandarchitecture.org.uk/images/conway/8f51560a.html

see also Amanda Sisk's American version in Camden NJ
http://maohao.com/amanda/blog/?p=36#comments

Sir Thomas Brock, R.A.

2007-01-25T12:54:00.000Z

Sir Thomas Brock, R.A. Sculptor, (Great Britain)
1788- 1867
Neo-classicist sculptor and creator of the Nelson on Nelson's Column, Trafalgar Square, London. At school he portrayed his classmates in wax models in 1807 he went to London to become a pupil of J. Flaxman, in whose studio he was employed. He also attended the schools of the Royal Academy and he became a Royal Academician in 1821. Brock executed many portrait busts and statues, among those portrayed were Byron, Faraday and Lawrence.

His famous work "Eve at the fountain" was shown in 1818 at the Academy and is now in his native Bristol. It is at present exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, it has great presence, almost awe inspiring. Here are 3 different pictures of it from different sources

and a picture of an even better known statue in front of Buckingham Palace!

Two more works of note

2007-01-16T18:37:00.000Z

“I admire your mission to un-earth all the English sculpture that got buried when Henry Moore was canonized -- I know that there's a lot to be found.” Chris Miller...

I will only give the briefest CVs of artists but will include links to other sites that include biographical information and contain more works for viewing.

Here are a two works of other British sculptors which I will add to gradually.
Frederick William Pomory and the Welsh Sir William Goscombe John,

Sir Alfred Gilbert, R. A. (1854-1934)

2006-12-02T15:43:00.000Z

Gilbert's works speak for themselves but the photos do not do the works justice. "Mother and Child" here is a good example of poor quality photography which lets our National Sculptors down. It is currently in the V&A, well displayed and in a prime position. (This is not one of their photos!) A biography and links to many works can be found at: http://www.victorianweb.org/sculpture/gilbert/gilbertov.html

Edward Onslow Ford (1852-1901)

2006-11-22T12:05:00.000Z

Edward Onslow Ford's Works

The sculptor Edward Onslow Ford (1852-1901) was born in Islington, North London, and initially studied painting on the Continent, where he worked under Buffeau in Antwerp, and with E. R. Mullins in Munich. On his return to London in 1874, he decided to become a portrait sculptor. He fell under the influence of Alfred Gilbert, and became one of the central figures of the New Sculpture Movement. His work, then, includes a mix of portrait sculptures and ideal works including many allegorical nudes.

These very different strands in Onslow Ford's work almost seem by separate hands. His portrait sculpture tends to the highly finished, and he shows a liking for complex folded drapery, in a way that looks as if the sitter 'just happened to sit like that'. This uncompromisingly realist work is in contrast to the studied softness and ideal unblemished youthfulness of his allegorical nudes, especially those in marble. These latter works have the inspiration of Gilbert written all over them, and put Ford squarely in the symbolist camp. Like Gilbert, in his Symbolist pieces, Ford was not averse to the use of different coloured metals and jewels to give an exotic polychromatic effect.

Ford's The Singer (1889) was one of only two sculptural works among Henry Tate's original gift to the nation. Also in the Tate Gallery is Folly (1886), which was bought through the Chantrey Bequest and also exists in versions in the Ashmolean Museum and at Port Sunlight. Other work at Port Sunlight includes the marble Snowdrift. Peace is (1887) in the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool (small copies elsewhere, e.g. Leicester), and Fate (1902, completed posthumously by his son) exists in versions at the V and A and Port Sunlight. Busts of Millais and the actor Henry Irving are at the National Portrait Gallery. Also in London, a bust of General Gordon (1892), and Ruskin of 1900, both in Westminster Abbey. His exterior sculpture includes the Victoria Monument (1901) in Manchester and, in London, the busts for the facade of the Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours building in Piccadilly (1881/2).

I have coppied this directly from the excellent website of Bob Speel http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/speel/index.htm who is doing a great job for English sculpture of the Victorian era. I recommend you visit his site.
Snow Drift was found at:
http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ladylever/collections/snowdrift.asp

Colton's works

2006-10-17T18:39:00.000+01:00

Here are the works I have found so far. Links to their origins are on my first post below.

Bob Speel Web Page

2006-10-16T11:39:00.000+01:00

Bob Speel has an interesting contribution, see

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/speel/sculpt/sculpt.htm

Thanks to Chris Miller for this.

A Resource for Study of Sculpture

2006-10-14T11:40:00.000+01:00

The English Sculptors

AIM

Here is an interesting remark from a contemporary American Sculptor:

“I admire your mission to un-earth all the English sculpture that got buried when Henry Moore was canonized -- I know that there's a lot to be found.”
Chris Miller

I hope to do more too, both contemporary and others.

Notes
For all sorts of reasons I am going to include, Scottish Sculptors, Irish Sculptors, Welsh Sculptors and British Sculptors. If in doubt, they will be British. If they spent much of their life in the British Isles but were born in a foreign country then I will say so. (Example; was Handel German, English or British, I will not quibble, unless I have actually got it wrong please don’t make too much of it.)

I do not wish to break copyright of any artist or organisation so wherever I can I will include the link to where I found the information on the internet or quote the book reference with ISDN number or source.

To any copyright owner, I hope that this Blog will be useful in promoting your interests. The insertion of any information or image is strictly for educational use and I have no financial interest in creating this Blog. It is mainly for selfish reasons in promoting my own knowledge of sculpture, and because I have not found a site dedicated to sculpture created in these Isles.
If I do not include a reference it is because I have been unable to find one and if you wish to contact me please email me on info@artituk.com

The Sculptors listed are in no particular order and will be gradually improved and added to as time goes on. I reserve the right to include only artists I believe good enough to have a space on my Blog. This will be a very personal opinion. Some I may not like but respect and accept their talent. Some of their works may not be included for a variety of reasons including my time.
If you feel I have left someone out please let me know.

William Robert Colton 1867 1921 (French/ English)

Biography on the web Site of Tate Gallery London (www.tate.org.uk)

Sculptor of allegorical subjects, public monuments and portrait busts. Born 25 December 1867 in Paris, son of an architect. Came to England 1870. Studied at Lambeth School of Art, the R.C.A., the R.A. Schools under Boehm and Armstead, and in Paris. Exhibited at the R.A. from 1889 and at the Paris Salon. A.R.A. 1903, R.A. 1919. Professor of Sculpture at the R.A. Schools 1907–10 and 1911–12. President of the R.B.S. 1921. Executed a number of public monuments in Britain, India and Australia, including the Artillery Memorial in the Mall, London. Died 13 November 1921 in Kensington, London.

Books.
Published in : Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture, London 1964 (Available from Tate see web Site)

WORKS
I have found 5 works at my first attempt. I hope to research more about him in due course so come back. New posts will be listed and dated. I know there are lots more to find. Please help if you can.

After the photos you can find the links to these images.

http://83.138.168.41/ixbin/hixclient.exe?submit-button=search&search-form=artist_record.html&_IXARTIST_=5586

http://www.artandarchitecture.org.uk/images/conway/4e9dde4c.html

http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ArtistWorks?cgroupid=999999977&artistid=933&page=1

Sculpture, specially dark bronze, is very difficult to photograph. Sculpture is to be visited not just seen from an image which never does it justice.

If I can find them, I will photograph some of his other works in and around London when I get the chance. So please keep an eye open for new posts.

Next batch of sculptors will include, Ford, Gilbert, Frampton, Flaxman, Westmacott and so on.