Robert Adams

Gimpel Fils, London
Jonathan Clark & Co, London, where acquired by the present owner in January 2006

London, Gimpel Fils, Robert Adams, April 1949, cat. no.5.

Alastair Grieve, The Sculpture of Robert Adams, Lund Humphries, Aldershot, 1992, cat. no.72, illustrated p. 155.

The following condition report has been prepared by Plowden and Smith, restorers of fine art objects and paintings: The sculpture depicts an abstract standing figure. It is carved from sycamore and has a waxy appearance. The figure is holding an implement which has a blackened finish.The piece has a numbers of cracks to the wood as a result of movement as a result of changes in humidity. There are dents and scuffs over the whole piece. There are holes present in the sculpture which indicate that the piece has had insect infestation in the past. It does not appear to be live. Some of the holes have been filled but others have not. There is a crack running from the top of the head down through the face and into the neck. The crack on the top of the head measures approximately 50mm long and 5mm wide. The crack running through the face and into the neck is approximately 90mm long. There are two very faint hairline cracks which appear to be stable at present. One runs horizontally along the whole of neck, the other runs vertically. There is another large crack that runs down from the neck into the length of the body and measure approximately 290mm long and 3-4mm wide (at the widest point). There is a crack in the base area above the legs which measures 150mm approximately and 9mm wide. There is a vertical crack to the wrist which is parallel to a previous repair. There is a crack between this and next to the object it is holding. There is a hairline crack which runs along the foot and measures approximately 200mm in length. All of the larger cracks have old filling material present. There are darker areas in places around the cracks which have been caused when the finish has been sanded back in previous restoration. The cracks could be infilled with wood and filler. However as the wood will continue to move it may be advisable to leave the sculpture as it is and accept the cracks a part of its history. If the cracks were to filled an estimated cost would be in the region of £500 excluding VAT. Please telephone the department on 020 7293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"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."

'Mr Adams is complementary to Moore.  Instead of rounded volumes which recline, he is carving skeletons of wood and stone which stand, and move upwards...'.
Geoffrey Grigson, Review in The Listener, vol.XLII, no.1090, 15 December 1949, p.1058, quoted in A. Grieve, op.cit., p.28.

Adams' second one-man show at Gimpel Fils in 1949 saw him exhibit nineteen sculptures and twenty-one drawings which all dealt with the theme of an abstracted figure. In the sculptures of this group, the forms are pared down to a level of extreme simplicity, possibly influenced by his experience of Brancusi, whose Paris studio he had visited in the early part of the year. Of these, Standing Figure is one of the most refined, relying purely on the proportions and asymmetry of the elements to give movement and life to the piece.