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142 - Barry FLANAGAN (1941–2009) Monument to Letters Bronze cast w…
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Estimate €150,000 - €180,000
Sale commission
Description
Barry FLANAGAN (1941–2009) Monument to Letters Bronze cast with patina, signed with the artist’s initial, numbered 3/8, AB Fine Art Foundry London, and bearing the letters Roj / Thes. Height: 174.6 x 72.4 x 69.9 cm - Weight: 79 kg (Some oxidation and stains) Created in 2005 and cast in 2006, this work is number 3 in an edition of 8 copies plus 4 artist’s proofs. Provenance: Waddington Custot Gallery, London Acquired by the current owner Exhibitions: Barry Flanagan: Sculpture, Paul Katlin Gallery, New York, 18 February–24 June 2007, a similar example Barry Flanagan, Wetterling Gallery, Stockholm, 12 April–19 May 2007, a similar example Barry Flanagan: Sculptures, Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery and Kunstraum Deutsche Bank, Salzburg, July–August 2007, a similar example Barry Flanagan: Sculptures 2001–2008, Waddington Galleries, London, 30 April–23 May 2008, this work reproduced in the exhibition catalogue under no. 20, page 59 Barry Flanagan: When Barry Meets Jarry, Galerie Lelong, Paris, 10 March–23 April 2023, a similar example Digital bibliography: Kelly Vencill Sanchez, ‘Juxtaposition gracieuse’ in: Architectural Digest, October 2007, example 1/8 reproduced. We would like to thank the Barry Flanagan Estate for kindly confirming the authenticity of this work and for the valuable information provided, namely: ‘Regarding the inscription “RojThes”. This inscription, which appears on ‘Monument to Letters’, refers to Roget’s Thesaurus, the famous English-language analogical dictionary, first compiled in 1805 by Peter Mark Roget. The inscription is slightly altered and reads ‘RojThes’, which is characteristic of Flanagan’s work, in which spelling mistakes or playful alterations are not uncommon. Each cast bears these same letters.” Barry Flanagan occupies an important place in British sculpture of the second half of the 20th century. Trained at the Saint Martin’s School of Art in London, from the 1960s onwards he pursued experimental work using simple materials such as sand, rope, canvas and plaster. From the late 1970s onwards, the figure of the hare became one of his favourite motifs. Flanagan turned it into a mobile, often playful subject, which allowed him to explore movement, rhythm and the transformation of the animal form. His work frequently engages with literature, mythology and the history of sculpture, particularly the world of Alfred Jarry and certain references to Rodin. Created in 2005 and cast in 2006, Monument to Letters belongs to the final years of Barry Flanagan’s career. The sculpture features the figure of the hare in a vertical, elongated composition, with supple, exaggerated limbs. The irregular modelling of the bronze retains traces of the working of the material, whilst the slender silhouette lends the whole a vivid and monumental presence.
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About the sale MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART
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Auction time 07/01/2026 at 1:30 PM
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