Francis Derwent Wood (Keswick 1871 - 1926 London)

London, Sotheby's, 21 November 1989, lot 80;

Where acquired.

Venice Biennale, 1914.

The present sculpture represents an episode from Greek mythology in which Zeus, having assumed the form of a swan, approaches Leda, Queen of Sparta. The figures are captured here in a moment of intimacy, as Leda gently embraces Zeus in his guise.

The artist responsible for this work, Francis Derwent-Wood, was celebrated for his architectural, memorial, and idealized sculpture. Born in Cumbria and educated in Switzerland and Germany, Derwent-Wood studied sculpture in Karlsruhe before returning to Britain in 1889 to enroll at the Royal College of Art, where he trained under Édouard Lantéri. During this period, he worked alongside Thomas Brock and assisted Alphonse Legros at the Slade School of Art.

In 1897, Derwent-Wood was appointed modeling master at the Glasgow School of Art, and two years later he won a major competition for decorative sculpture at the Glasgow Art Gallery. His most well-known work remains the monument to the Machine Gun Corps at Hyde Park Corner.