Lot 41
  • 41

William Turnbull

Estimate
80,000 - 120,000 GBP
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Description

  • William Turnbull
  • Large Idol
  • stamped with Artist's monogram, dated 85 and numbered 2/4
  • bronze
  • height: 195.5cm.; 77in.
  • Conceived and cast in 1985, the present work is number 2 from the edition of 4.
edition of 4

Provenance

Sale, Christie's London, 25th November 1993, lot 179, where acquired by David Bowie

Literature

Amanda A. Davidson, The Sculpture of William Turnbull, The Henry Moore Foundation in association with Lund Humphries, Aldershot, 2005, p.166, cat. no.233, illustrated (another cast).

Condition

The sculpture appears sound. There is some very light rubbing to the protruding edges of the bronze in places. There are some very minor traces of oxidisation in places, most apparent at the base of the work and underneath and between the two protruding elements. There are some nicks and scratches to the integral base of the work. Upon very close inspection, it is possible to see a faint line where the two elements of the sculpture have been joined, half way up the work, in keeping with the nature of the artist's technique. There is some extremely light surface dirt in some of the crevices. Subject to the above, the work appears to be in very good overall condition. The work is freestanding. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Standing freely in space, William Turnbull’s Large Idol of 1985 exudes an arresting meditative presence. Despite already finding success as one of the leading sculptors of Post-War British art, Turnbull abandoned sculpture in the early 1970s to focus exclusively on painting. He believed that his industrial minimalist work of the past decade had reached its natural conclusion and could not be developed further. However, Turnbull reconsidered this decision upon seeing his work showcased in a major retrospective held at the Tate in 1973. Reflecting on the recurrent themes that informed his oeuvre, he decided to redefine his earlier ideas on sculpture.

Turnbull frequently visited the British Museum during his early years at the Slade School of Fine Art to study archaic and non-classical figures, drawn to the timelessness of these sacred forms. Together with a brief period of study in Paris where he was exposed to the work of Alberto Giacometti and Constantin Brancusi, Turnbull’s focus on primordial forms and his divergence into minimalism resulted in a pared down, refined, and lighter version of his first hieratic phase of the mid-to-late-1950s. Referencing totemic sculpture and fertility idols, Large Idol belongs to Turnbull’s second exploration of the motif, which he continually returned to from 1979. 

Turnbull famously asked: ‘How little will suggest a head?’ (the Artist, quoted in David Sylvester, William Turnbull: Sculpture and Paintings (exh. cat.), Serpentine Gallery, London, 1995, p.10). Simultaneously abstract and referent, Large Idol is distinctly feminine and is created with an extraordinary clarity and economy of expression. The otherwise sleek vertical form is interrupted by protruding elements that resemble breasts, and is further textured by suggestive details incised into the bronze that evoke the tribal markings of non-Western cultures. After absorbing the immediate impact of the sculpture from its distinctive front, the viewer is urged around the motionless monolith by these subtle lines. Erected at over human height, this feminine form is commanding and strips figurative sculpture back to the minimum; in fact, Turnbull’s sculptures are often either over or under life-sized, alluding to a figure rather than simply mimicking the human body so as not to distract from the work’s formal autonomy.

The elusiveness of Turnbull’s sculpture creates a dialogue with the viewer, and inspires endless interpretations; the experience of Large Idol evolves with every encounter. Turnbull was deeply interested in the presence of his statues in history, and this quiet yet fiercely elegant form will undoubtedly continue to resonate in the future as well as create connections with the past.