DAME BARBARA HEPWORTH | Miniature of Winged Figure

Gimpel Fils, London, where acquired by a Private American Collector in 1975 and thence by descent to the previous owner
Their sale, Sotheby's New York, 6th November 2015, lot 111, where acquired by the present owner

London, Tate, Barbara Hepworth: Retrospective 1927-67, 3rd April - 19th May 1968, cat. no.184 (another cast);
London, Gimpel Fils, Barbara Hepworth: 50 Sculptures from 1935 to 1970, 7th October - 15th November 1975, cat. no.36, illustrated (this cast).

Alan Bowness (ed.) The Complete Sculpture of Barbara Hepworth 1960-69, Lund Humphries, London, 1971, cat. no.BH450, illustrated p.45 (another cast).

The sculpture and stringed elements appear sound. There are a number of very tiny pits and scratches to the surface of the work on both the front and back, towards the front edge of the wings in keeping with the Artist's working methods. There are one or two further nicks to the work, largely in keeping with the Artist's intentions. There are one or two small casting imperfections at the top of the wings. There are a few small scratches and nicks to the top of the base. There is some light surface dirt and the strings are slightly stained. This excepting the work appears to be in very good overall condition. The work has an original, stone Artist's base, to which it is securely adhered. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 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."

‘I think one of our universal dreams is to move in air and water without the resistance of our human legs. I wanted to evoke this sense of freedom.  If the Winged Figure in Oxford Street gives people a sense of being airborne in rain and sunlight and nightlight I will be very happy.  It is a project I have long wished to fulfil and this site with its wonderful oblique wall was quite perfect.’ (Barbara Hepworth, 1963, https://hepworthwakefield.org)

We are grateful to Dr Sophie Bowness for her kind assistance with the cataloguing apparatus of the present work, which will feature in her forthcoming revised catalogue raisonné of the Artist's sculpture as BH450.

The present work is a minature of Winged Figure (1962), which was commissioned by the John Lewis Partnership for their flagship store on London’s Oxford Street. The monumental version was executed in aluminum and was unveiled on the south east wall of the building on the 21^st April 1963, where it remains as an icon of the London landscape today.