FRANK LYNN JENKINS | Bust of Joseph Duveen, 1st Baron Duveen (1869-1939)

Overall, the condition of the bronze is good, with minor dirt and some wear to the surface consistent with age. There is some wear to the patina, including to the nose and to other high points of the face. There is some pitting to the bronze, in particular to the top of the head. There are small nicks and scratches to the surface in areas. Originally there was a socle attached to the bronze at the underside, this is now lost, and the flat bar to the underside of the socle is slightly warped.
"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."

Joseph Duveen is considered one of the most successful art dealers of all time, making his fortune by sourcing Old Masters in Britain and Continental Europe, and selling them to Americans. It is said he based his career on one simple observation: Europe has the art; America, the money. Duveen was also a generous philanthropist, and donated great sums of money to Great Britain's various cultural institutions, including The British Museum, the Tate Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. 

The identification of the present bust is based mostly on comparison with known portraits and photographs of Duveen. Furthermore, the architects firm Romaine Walker and Jenkins (Lynn Jenkins' younger brother, Gilbert) designed the Duveen Sculpture Gallery at Tate Britain (1937, Mapping the Practice [...] op. cit.). Secrest (op. cit., p. 167) mentions Duveen's wish to hang a portrait of his father, or to install a bust of himself, in these galleries, which was declined by the trustees. Although Frank Lynn Jenkins is not recorded to have made a bust of Duveen, it is not unlikely he would have modeled a bust of Duveen as these building works were taking place, even if the bust was ultimately not placed in the galleries. 

RELATED LITERATURE
M. Secrest, Duveen, a Life in Art, New York, 2004; 'Frank Lynn Jenkins', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib2_1203116159, accessed 04 Jun 2018]