

In a contemporary letter to Botzaris, G. B. Shaw observed that he was 'the only distinguished sculptor of my time who can boast that he has NOT made a bust of G.B.S.'. Fortunately, Shaw decided there was still need for one last sculpted portrait, but warned the artist, 'this must positively be the last, as I am getting too old to be presentable.' At around 80 years of age, Shaw may have lost his good looks but none of his wry sense of humour. As it is, the bronze that ensued, as seen here, is a lively and characterful representation of the celebrated writer.
Born in Belgrade, Serbia, the son of the court painter to King Peter I of Serbia, Botzaris studied in Italy and France before settling in London in 1920. The original bronze of Shaw was exhibited at the Leicester Galleries in 1938 alongside a number of other famous literary and political figures by Botzaris that included James Joyce, Aldous Huxley and Haile Selassie.