Kenneth Armitage

Sibyl III

1961

© The Kenneth Armitage Foundation

License this image

Not on display
Artist
Kenneth Armitage 1916–2002
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
Object: 1029 x 622 x 311 mm
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Purchased 1962
Reference
T00518

Catalogue entry

T00518 SIBYL III 1961
 
Inscr. ‘K.A. II’ and stamped ‘H. Noack Berlin’ on lower back.
Bronze, 40 1/2×24 1/2×12 1/4 (103×62×31).
Purchased from the Marlborough New London Gallery (Grant-in-Aid) 1962.
Exh: Paul Rosenberg, New York, March 1962 (18, repr.) as ‘Sibyl (3rd version)’; Marlborough New London Gallery, May 1962 (19, repr.).

This dates from the period when the sculptor was working on a project for the central facade of the Château Mouton Rothschild, near Bordeaux, where the composition consists of a large gilt form with projecting flanges, and faces the vineyard. The artist wrote in the New London Gallery catalogue: ‘I saw many years ago a curious fungus in the form of flat horizontal shelves growing out in clusters from the tree trunk, which for some reason were exciting and which I had always wanted to incorporate in my work if the right opportunity came along. The idea seemed appropriate here.... The earliest of the 16 maquettes sported bunches of these flanges, but later they were much reduced in number. This form then worked itself out in Monitors, Prophets, and Sibyls, Sculpture 105, and Whistle, growing into a beak-like shape in the more recent work.’ He told the compiler that ‘Sibyl III’ is the only form in which the flanges come right round the figure. The cast is one of an edition of six.

Published in:
Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture, London 1964, I

Geometry of Fear

Explore

You might like

Left Right
Kenneth Armitage, ‘Diarchy’ 1957

Kenneth Armitage Diarchy

1957
Kenneth Armitage, ‘Seated Woman with Square Head (Version B)’ 1955

Kenneth Armitage Seated Woman with Square Head (Version B)

1955
Kenneth Armitage, ‘People in the Wind’ 1950

Kenneth Armitage People in the Wind

1950
Kenneth Armitage, ‘Square Figure Relief’ 1954

Kenneth Armitage Square Figure Relief

1954
Kenneth Armitage, ‘Pandarus (Version 8)’ 1963

Kenneth Armitage Pandarus (Version 8)

1963
Henry Moore OM, CH, ‘Atom Piece (Working Model for Nuclear Energy)’ 1964–5, cast 1965

Henry Moore OM, CH Atom Piece (Working Model for Nuclear Energy)

1964–5, cast 1965
Kenneth Armitage, ‘Balanced Figure’ 1960–1

Kenneth Armitage Balanced Figure

1960–1
View by appointment
Kenneth Armitage, ‘Seated Group’ 1960

Kenneth Armitage Seated Group

1960
View by appointment
Kenneth Armitage, recipient: Joan Augusta Monro Moore, ‘Letter from Kenneth Armitage to Joan Moore, addressed Corsham’ 17 February 1953

Kenneth Armitage, recipient: Joan Augusta Monro Moore Letter from Kenneth Armitage to Joan Moore, addressed Corsham

17 February 1953
View by appointment
Kenneth Armitage, recipient: Joan Augusta Monro Moore, ‘Letter from Kenneth Armitage to Joan Moore, addressed Redcliffe Square’ 1953

Kenneth Armitage, recipient: Joan Augusta Monro Moore Letter from Kenneth Armitage to Joan Moore, addressed Redcliffe Square

1953
View by appointment
Henry Moore OM, CH, ‘Moon Head’ 1964, cast c.1964–6

Henry Moore OM, CH Moon Head

1964, cast c.1964–6
On display at Tate Britain part of Spotlights
Lynn Chadwick, ‘Winged Figures’ 1955

Lynn Chadwick Winged Figures

1955
Henry Moore OM, CH, ‘Two Piece Sculpture No.7: Pipe’ 1966, cast date unknown

Henry Moore OM, CH Two Piece Sculpture No.7: Pipe

1966, cast date unknown
Reg Butler, ‘Circe Head’ 1952–3

Reg Butler Circe Head

1952–3
Peter Startup, ‘Figure with Car’ 1956

Peter Startup Figure with Car

1956