Dame Elisabeth Frink, D.B.E., R.A.

The Artist
Private Collection, Sydney, by the late 1980s

London, Tate Gallery, Elisabeth Frink, Sculpture and Drawing 1952 - 1984, 8th February - 24th March  1985, cat.no.73 (another cast), where lent by the Artist.

Bryan Robertson (intro.), Elisabeth Frink Sculpture, Harpvale Books, Salisbury, 1984, cat. no.246, illustrated p.190 (another cast).

Structurally sound. There is minor surface dirt and tiny isolated flecks of surface matter to the work, with small, isolated areas of very slight oxidisation appearing, most notably around the hooves and base of the work, and in a fleck to the left side of the horses' neck. This excepting the work appears in be in excellent condition. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
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In 1967 Frink moved to the Camargue, a region in southern France celebrated for its herds of semi-wild horses. Inspired by these magnificent animals, equestrian subjects began to appear more frequently in her work, and even after her return to England, horses, both with and without riders, remained a constant preoccupation for the remainder of her life.

A keen rider, Frink understood horses thoroughly, and her sculptures are notable for their capacity for capturing the spirit and mood of the subject. The horse is a longstanding motif in Western art but Frink was keen to express a more personal view in her approach. More than simply a subject, Frink animates her sculptures through their various postures, be that the resignation of a horse in the rain, or the unrestrained joy of rolling and streching. Where Frink introduces a rider, she is able to show the intimate link with, and dependence on, human beings.

Frink's horsemen have a distinct feeling of existing out of time, echoing the long history of mankind's connection with the horse. Stripped of trappings and dress that would tie it to an era, Horseman tells us of the journeys taken throughout time, the trust and dependance between horse and rider.