GEORGE JAMES FRAMPTON | Peter Pan

The present cast is number seven of an edition of eight cast by the Morris Singer Foundry in 1987

The group was cast in 1987, and was conceived as an outdoor sculpture. Overall the condition of the bronze is very good, with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. The bronze has an original greenish patination in areas. There are a few small casting flaws, including under Peter Pan's tunic.There is some minor pitting to the surface of the bronze in areas.
"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."

In 1911 an anonymous donor commissioned George Frampton to create a sculpture of Peter Pan to be placed on the very spot in Kensington gardens where the magical boy appears nightly in J M Barrie's Little White Bird of 1901, the first book in which the character appears. In fact the anonymous donor was the author himself. He had the bronze erected in secret on 29^th and 30^th April 1912, so that it would seem to have magically appeared. Frampton exhibited the plaster model at the Royal Academy in 1911. In writing his tales of Peter Pan, J M Barrie was inspired by a family of boys - the Llewelyns. George Llewelyn was the inspiration for the character of Peter Pan, and Frampton used his brother Michael as the inspiration for his sculpture. 

In Frampton's model Peter Pan is lifted up on a swirling rock populated by fairies, bunny rabbits, squirrels and mice. He raises his pipe to his mouth and plays to the spirits of the children who play in the park. Frampton's sprightly Peter proved to be a perennially popular model and casts of the monument are to be found as far afield as Brussels, New Jersey, Toronto and Perth, Australia. Parts of the original plaster model are in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Following its immediate popular appeal, Frampton produced a bronze reduction of the main figure as an independent statuette. The present cast is one of an edition of eight full scale versions cast by the celebrated Morris Singer Foundry for the Fine Art Society by exclusive agreement with Liverpool City Council from the bronze in Sefton Park.

RELATED LITERATURE 
B. Read, Victorian Sculpture, London, 1982, pp. 315-317; Royal Academy Exhibitors 1905-1970, Wiltshire, 1979, vol. II, p. 106; D. Bilbey and M. Trusted, British Sculpture 1470-2000, London, 2002, pp. 266-267