Charles Sargeant Jagger

London, The Royal Society of Painters in Water Colours, The Charles Sargeant Jagger Memorial Exhibition, 21 May - 20 June 1935, cat. no. 14, illustrated in the catalogue p.16, for sale at 50 gns, touring to Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield, Lincoln, Wakefield, Halifax, Dunfermline, Rochdale, Perth, Hull, Doncaster and Stockport;
Halifax, Bankfield Museum, The Art of the Jagger Family, 26 August-23 September, 1939-1940, cat. no.3 (another cast), touring to Burton, Darlington, Lincoln, Rotherham and Sunderland;
London, Imperial War Museum, Charles Sargeant Jagger War and Peace Sculpture Centenary Exhibition 1885-1985, 1 May - 29 September 1985 (another cast);
Sheffield, Mappin Art Gallery, Charles Sargeant Jagger, 19 October-30 November 1985, cat. no.40 (another cast).

Ann Compton, The Sculpture of Charles Sargeant Jagger, The Henry Moore Foundation in association with Lund Humphries, 2004, no.75 p.126.

The patina is richer and less shiny that the catalogue illustration suggests. The work has recently been lightly cleaned and is in excellent original condition. Held on simple wooden base.
"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."

Conceived in 1928-9, the present work is a cast of the working model for the monumental Portland stone figure for Imperial Chemical House, Millbank. The working model was cast in an edition of two in 1935 with one further cast taken in 1937.

Unlike Marine Transport, which was accepted virtually unchanged for the final sculpture, Chemistry underwent various changes before its final state. The original concept was for the figure to be prising open the hand representing Nature to reveal its bounty, whilst in the present work we see this changed to a gentler process of mutual respect between the laboratory coat clad figure and the hand of Nature.