One of the pioneers of Modern British art, Frank Dobson (1886–1963) began his career as a painter before becoming one of Britain’s most famous sculptors during the 1920s and 30s. The pure, sensuous form of the present work owes much to the artist’s knowledge of the classical world and despite its size, conveys a sense of cool monumentality.

The model is similar in style to the three figures Dobson made around 1941 in response to a possible commission to decorate Waterloo Bridge. At the time, the bridge was being rebuilt by Giles Gilbert Scott and the theme that had been chosen was the Four Freedoms. Dobson submitted a number of recumbent figures holding fabric or bowls and whilst the bridge’s new decorative scheme was never executed, the process gave rise to a number of highly original hand modelled figures such as the present example.

In a letter to Sir Charles Herbert Reilly dated 15 September 1945, Dobson wrote ‘now about your terracotta. I am
so glad you like it. A photograph of it will be reproduced in a book which is to be published on my work and it is listed as being in your collection. It is the original clay model made by me, baked, and it is unique. That is there can be no other copies.’