†FREDERICK EDWARD MCWILLIAM

†FREDERICK EDWARD MCWILLIAM, RA (1909-1992) BONE-HEAD FIGURE II, C1960 bronze with dull black patina, green in places, signed MCW and numbered 2/5, 32.5cm hBone-Head Figure II, an hitherto unrecorded work, closely follows Bone Head Figure I of 1960 (Ferran & Holman 2012, No 200, not illustrated; Penrose 1964, No 66, illustrated). Works such as Icon, Trophy and Bone Form, all of 1960 by McWilliam received high praise. Michel Strauss writing in his Review of the Waddington Galleries McWilliam Exhibition observed ".... monumental effigies to small, anthropomorphic studies of humanity entitled Bone Form, Bone Roll and Square Head. Tall, emaciated and ravaged human beings who, seem to have reverted to an almost ectoplasm state, remind us of Giacomett."Bone Head, Icon and the several studies for them follow on from McWilliam's 'Leafman' series of attenuated figures of the 50s. There appears to be the imprint of a leaf on the surface of the present sculpture and it is almost certainly the case that only two were cast. McWilliam usually photographed his works in plaster form and afterwards the bronze cast, but there is no record of this work in his archive.Mellors & Kirk is very grateful for the assistance of Denise Ferran in the cataloguing of this and the preceding lot.