RALPH BROWN (1928-2013): A BRONZE PORTRAIT BUST OF A YOUNG GIRL
| Starting bid | £200 |
| Estimate | £300 - £500 |
| Absentee deadline | Jan 13, 2026, 5:00:00 PM |
Cast in 1972 Modelled with long hair, cast with artist's initials 'R.B 1972', 33cm high *ARR
Ralph Brown was a prestigious British figurative sculptor, who gained fame for his representation of The Meat Porters, a public sculpture of 1959, and also known for his sensual work. At Leeds College of Art, he was encouraged and supported by Henry Moore, and can be viewed within the wider context of the Yorkshire sculpture group next to Barbara Hepworth and Kenneth Armitage, also alumni of Leeds College of Art. He went on to study at the Royal College of Art under Frank Dobson, John Skeaping and Leo Underwood. He became a Royal Academician in 1972, the same year that he was commissioned to create these portraits of the two sisters (lots 747 and 748). Two copies of each were cast at the time for the family, with one set being offered.
Brown’s work is held in numerous prestigious public collections including the Tate, Arts Council and Leeds City Art Gallery, where a major retrospective was held in 1988.
