MODERN SCULPTURE COLLECTION

LEON UNDERWOOD
[1890-1975]

SCULPTURE

LEON UNDERWOOD

Mountain God
[aka 'Dawn' and 'Creation']
1923
alabaster
unique
70 cm high
Provenance: The artist;
Private collection, UK;
Sothebys, March 1959, lot 95;
Wilfrid Evill collection;
Sothebys, 2011
Exhibited: 'The Home of Wilfrid Evill', Contemporary Art Society, April-May 1961, no. 22
[Evill had a great collection of Modern British art and Underwood was his favourite sculptor]
This is Underwood's first
major carving.

detail below

LEON UNDERWOOD

June of Youth
1934
chased bronze with silver inlay
1st cast and unique in this form
edition of 7
[most without silver inlay and some without chin]
60.5 cm high
[excluding the wood base]
Provenance: The artist;
Private collection, UK;
Lyon & Turnbull, 2021
Literature: 'Leon Underwood'
C Neve, T&H, 1974, pl. 109 [this cast illustrated];
'Leon Underwood', B Whitworth
Lund Humphries, 2000, no. 66
The Tate Gallery collection includes a similar cast with silver inlay which is the first Leon Underwood they acquired.
The silver inlay shows flames covering the body.

LEON UNDERWOOD

Book of Thel
[Clod of Clay]
1933
bronze
unique
signed and dated
44 cm high
Provenance: The artist's family;
Roy Davids collection;
Bonhams, 4 March 2015, lot 189;
Bonhams, 2021
Exhibited: Leicester Galleries,
1934, no. 8;
Minories, Colchester, one-man
exhibtion, Aug-Sept. 1969, no. 10;
National Museum of Wales, 'Mexico', Aug-Sept, 1979, no. 12;
Literature: 'Leon Underwood'
C. Neve, T&H, 1974, p. 143 [illust.]
'The Sculpture of Leon Underwood
B Whitworth, 2000, p. 57 [illust.]
This was originally carved in stone, but the stone split in half just before completion,
so Underwood cast it in bronze

LEON UNDERWOOD

Head
[Kathleen Woodward]
1933
bronze
unique
signed
33 cm high
Provenance: The artist;
Private collection, UK;
Christies, 28 February 2007, lot 52
Literature: 'Leon Underwood'
B Whitworth 74

LEON UNDERWOOD

Busker - the Clever One
1938
bronze
4/6
signed
39 cm high
[excluding wood base]
Provenance: The artist;
Private collection, UK;
Sothebys, 3 March 1999, lot 147
Literature: 'Leon Underwood'
C Neve, T&H, 1974, p. 200, pl. 158

LEON UNDERWOOD

Ole Nick
[Serpent]
1931
painted stone
unique
49 cm high
[excluding wood base]
Provenance: The artist;
Artist's family;
Redfern Gallery, c. 1999
Literature: 'Leon Underwood'
B Whitworth, 2000, LH, no. 44

LEON UNDERWOOD

Prophet
1931
bronze
4/7
signed
40.5 cm high
[excluding wood base]
Provenance: The artist;
Private collection, US;
Sothebys, New York, 2013
Literature: 'Leon Underwood'
B Whitworth, 2000, LH, no. 49

LEON UNDERWOOD

Lark Ascending
1931
bronze
4/7
signed
45 cm high
Provenance: Redfern Gallery, 2012

LEON UNDERWOOD

Pursuit of Ideas
1959
bronze
edition of 6
[cast in 1959]
signed
48 cm long
[this is the larger of the 2 maqs. the smaller was cast 1970-6]
Provenance: The artist;
Private collection, UK
Christies, 28 Feb. 2007, lot 39
Literature: 'Leon Underwood'
B Whitworth, p. 139, no. 181

LEON UNDERWOOD

Joy as it Flies
[2nd state with child]
1956
bronze
1/7
signed
42.5 cm high
Provenance: The artist;
Private collection, UK
Reeman Dansie, 2022
Literature: 'Leon Underwood'
B Whitworth, 2000, LH, no. 170

PAINTINGS - DRAWINGS - PRINTS

LEON UNDERWOOD

The Cast-Net
1946
watercolour
signed
33 x 25 cm
Literature: 'Leon Underwood'
C Neve, T&H, 1974, p. 187, pl. 144

LEON UNDERWOOD

The Island
1931
wood-engraving
signed and dated
25 x 21 cm
Provenance: Roseberys
13 March 2001, lot 661
Exhibited: 'Leon Underwood'
Minories, Colchester, one-man
1969, no. 205

LEON UNDERWOOD

The Cathedral
1930
wood-engraving
signed
24 x 20 cm

Leon Underwood has been called 'The father of modern British sculpture' - he taught Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth.
He was born in London and studied at the Royal College of Art and the Slade - starting as a painter and print maker before progressing to sculpture - a carver and modeller.
One-man exhibitions include the Chenil, St Georges, Leicester, Redfern and Thomas Agnew galleries.
Major one-man museum retrospective exhibitions include the Minories and Pallant House galleries.
Public collections include the Tate Gallery.
There are 2 books on his work including a catalogue raisonne of his sculpture by Ben Whitworth, Lund Humphries, 2000.
One of the most underrated artists.

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