Early 20th Century Art Nouveau Bronze sculpture entitled "Folly" by Onslow Ford

An important early 20th Century English school bronze sculpture modelled as a young woman precariously balanced on the edge of a rock, the surface with very fine hand finished detail and rich brown patina, raised on a marble base and signed Onslow Ford.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Height: 52.5 cm.

Condition: Excellent Original Condition.

Circa: 1905.

Materials: Bronze & Marble.

SKU: 9126.

ABOUT
'Folly'

Onslow Ford was an innovator. Here he rejected classical subject matter and conventions of ideal beauty and presented the embodiment of Folly as a young woman poised precariously on the edge of a dangerous rock. Ford’s casting allows enormous detail and a sensuous surface. It was made using the lost-wax process – casting bronze in a mould taken from a detailed wax model. The artist even pressed strands of animal hair into the wax to create the effect of a tangled mop. Such attention to surface detail led critics to complain that the work was too life-like to be acceptable as sculpture.

Sir Edward Onslow Ford (1852–1901) was a prominent British sculptor associated with the New Sculpture movement of the late 19th century. Born in London, Ford studied at the South Kensington School of Art and the Royal Academy Schools. Known for his departure from traditional classical styles, he contributed significantly to the movement's emphasis on naturalism and expressiveness. Ford's notable works include the bronze statue of Shakespeare in Westminster Abbey's Poets' Corner and the memorial "Physical Energy" dedicated to Cecil Rhodes in Oxford. Elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1889, he became a full Academician in 1895. Unfortunately, Ford's promising career was cut short by his death at the age of 48 in 1901.

Price

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

Stock number