William Hamo Thornycroft

Overall the condition of the bronze is good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There are a few nicks and scratches, including to the youth's proper right leg. There are some slightly visible restorations to the patina at the youth's proper right leg, arm and back. There are some small spots of dirt to the patina and a few small areas of greening, including to the warrior's drapery on the proper left side above the tree stump, and to the back of the shield. There are one or two slightly visible original casting joints, including to the strap at the warrior's proper left shoulder and around the base and top of the tree stump (at the top the joint is slightly open but is stable). The bronze is a sand cast and there are a few minor flaws caused by this process to the front edge of the base. There are a few further very minor casting flaws, including to the back of the warrior's drapery.
"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."

Thornycroft's Warrior is a key work from the formative years of the New Sculpture movement. In 1875 it won the Royal Academy's biennial Gold Medal for the 'Best Work of Sculpture,' in competition with Alfred Gilbert. The latter sculptor later admitted that he 'had been beaten by the best man.'

The Warrior shows the influence of Thornycroft's visits to France and Italy in 1871, and the group was guaranteed a prominent place in the history of the New Sculpture when the Art Union of London purchased the rights to the group after it was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1876. The Art Union Journal considered that 'there is nothing from the hand of an academician to be at all compared with Hamo Thornycroft's Warrior.' The following year, the Art Union began to issue reduced casts of the model, and it has been suggested that this encouraged the young Thornycroft in his interest in bronze reductions and small scale sculpture generally, which so characterised the developing movement. The original bronze group is today housed at Leighton House, London.

RELATED LITERATURE
E. Manning, Marble and Bronze. The Art and Life of Hamo Thornycroft, London, 1982, pp. 55 and 212; S. Beattie, The New Sculpture, New Haven and London, 1983, p. 183