Kenneth Armitage, R.A.

The Estate of the Artist

Structurally sound. There are very minor scratches and scuffs which are in keeping with the nature of the artist's technique, with a few possible minor nicks and chips to the extreme edge of the plaster base and to the extreme edges of the figural body. This excepting the work appears in excellent overall condition.
"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."

“I started making little models, maquettes, of things with an armature … modelled directly with plaster over wire netting… I started joining figures together compulsively and did it more and more.  Two or three figures would be unified into one mass, and then I could arrange the arms and legs as I wanted, because if you look at a crowd, you do not count the arms and legs, you just see odd arms swinging and the odd leg moving… And then, one day in London, looking out of the window on a very windy day I saw a woman walking, holding two children, all three leaning against the wind, and this gave me an idea: I started making tiny maquettes with, I think, three figures with long necks, and they had a little bunch of arms in the front, extended forward with hands…” (the Artist in Tamsyn Woollcombe (ed.), Kenneth Armitage, Life and Work, The Henry Moore Foundation in association with Lund Humphries, London, 1997, p.26)