Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, R.A.

Gifted by the Artist to Jane Drew and Maxwell Fry, by whom gifted to the present owners in 1995

London, Jonathan Clark & Co, Eduardo Paolozzi - Archaeology of a Used Future: Sculpture 1946-1959, 1st - 30th November 2011, cat. 13 (as Study for a Tall Figure).

Structurally sound. There is minor surface dirt and detritus to the work. There are tiny flecks of white matter to the base. There are minor isolated signs of oxidisation to the work, most noticeably in a small patch to the middle of both legs. Further lesser signs of oxidisation are visible to isolated areas of the work in keeping with the nature of the artist's materials. A further, very minor graze is visible to the back of the 'head' at the top. Please note the work is slightly uneven on its base, but stands well. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present lot.
"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.
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This sculpture is welded from the scrap metal sweepings  collected from the floor of the welding school of British Oxygen in Cricklewood, which Paolozzi attended with Francis Morland in August 1956.

According to a handwritten note from Jane Drew to the work’s present owners, dated January 1995 and based on information given to her by Paolozzi, the maquette relates to the seven-foot-tall  St Sebastian No.2, which was exhibited and purchased by the Guggenheim Museum, New York, early in 1958. 

This maquette is unique to Paolozzi's sculpture of the 1950s, as an early stage in his first attempt to make larger-than-life figure sculpture, represented by  the series of four ‘St Sebastians (Guggenheim Museum; Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, Kröller-Müller Museum, Rotterdam;  Private Collection), which were conceived shortly thereafter and completed towards the end of the following year.

We are grateful to Robin Spencer for his kind assistance in cataloguing the present work