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The John Robinson Collection of Sculpture (25th Sept 2018 auction)
The John Robinson Collection
I first came across John Robinson’s work nearly 30 years ago when I was asked to auction his wonderful bronze figure of Papageno, from Mozart’s Magic Flute, which had stood for a few years at Glyndebourne. Over the subsequent years we have been lucky enough to have sold quite a few of his pieces and so when, following their mother’s death (John died in 2007), the Robinson family asked Rupert and myself if we could sell some of their father’s sculpture, we were naturally delighted.
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Little did I realise what a treat was in store in the extensive gardens of their idyllic cottage, Agecroft near Yeovil in Somerset as well as John’s studio, virtually untouched in the 10 years since his death.
John enjoyed a remarkably full and varied life, from early on jackarooing and then farming in Australia, to returning to this country with a young family to try his hand at sculpture.
His early work, which started as small commissions for his friends, is largely made up of charming, beautiful observed studies of children, a number of which are included in this sale; my undoubted favourite is his three young sons Peter, Mark and Tim squirting each other with a hose, lot 21, capturing their youthful exuberance exactly.
Inspired by a trip to Greece with its Olympic tradition, he moved onto athletes, the most impressive and iconic of which is his 5 metre high group of Acrobats, lot 38. This group was certainly instrumental in John being appointed the Official Sculptor for the British Olympic Committee in 1988.
punching of a fist in athletic triumph, is a tour de force in elegant simplicity.
In addition to this, John was an accomplished portrait sculptor. His most well-known works are busts of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother in her role as Warden of the Cinque Ports and Her Majesty the Queen in her role as Colonel in Chief of The Royal Tank Regiment. Both the plaster originals and bronze castings, lots 40, 41 and 44 are included in the sale.
Unlike many sculptors who channel all of their creative energies into their work, John was an accomplished author and produced a lavishly illustrated three volume hardback autobiography entitled From the Beginning Onwards as well as Symbolic Sculpture, Symbolism, Sculptures and Tapestries, A Bradshaw Foundation Report and a CD of rotating images for his symbolic sculptures.
The purchase of every lot of John’s sculpture in this sale, will also receive a copy of each of these books/CD.
Where applicable and for further detailed explanation and illustrations, the catalogue description of each lot also gives page references to the relevant books which may be viewed next to the catalogue entry on our website.
We hope you enjoy the John Robinson experience! James Rylands
Most sculptors have a distinctive style which remains fairly constant throughout their working career. John, however, was a true artistic renaissance prince and his next artistic phase led him in a completely different direction into his Symbolic Sculpture, which formed his Universe series, which explores, often utilising complicated mathematical formulae, humankind’s relationship with the Universe. The bronze abstract piece Elation, lot 52, a casting of which was gifted by the British Olympic Association to the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, representing the
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The buyer of every lot of John’s sculpture will receive a copy of each of the above publications
21
Three bronze resin figures of Mark, squirting Peter and Tim with a hose pipe
each signed John ‘69 the tallest 97cm
Originally modelled from a photograph of his three sons, taken whilst still living in Melbourne.
Literature: Vol I, page 230. Further pictures and details on our website.
£2000-3000
For details of our buyers premium which is added onto the hammer price together with any other applicable charges please refer to our guide for prospective buyers
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23 A bronze resin group of two children plumbed for a fountain, on circular base 75cm high by 118cm diameter £600-1000
22 A bronze child holding a cup 50cm high £800-1200
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24 A bronze figure of Lily signed John 98cm high
Literature: See Vol I, pages 320-321. Further pictures and details on our website.
£1000-1500
25 A bronze resin seated boy with a puppy signed John 56cm high £600-1000
For details of our buyers premium which is added onto the hammer price together with any other applicable charges please refer to our guide for prospective buyers
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26 A bronze resin boy with a Great Dane 110cm high
Commissioned for Derek Crowther of Crowthers of Syon Lodge, Isleworth who were the pre-eminent dealers in garden sculpture, the original of this group was exhibited on Crowthers stand at the Chelsea Flower show, circa 1970 and 12 casts in bronze were sold, one of which stands on St Lawrence Waterway, Canada.
Literature: See Vol I, page 231-2. Further pictures and details on our website.
£1000-1500
27 A bronze resin high relief of Henry VIII 130cm high
The original commission for a gentleman’s tailors in New York
£300-500
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28
A bronze figure of an athlete
signed John 2/12 and dated ‘73 on marble base 36cm high £200-400
29
A bronze figure of a female athlete
on marble base 33cm high £150-250
30
A bronze resin group entitled Peace
198cm long
Modelled whilst still heavily influenced by Rodin’s work in the late 1960’s.
Literature: See Vol I pages 226-227. Further pictures and details on our website
£1500-2500
John Robinson with the clay model of this piece.
For details of our buyers premium which is added onto the hammer price together with any other applicable charges please refer to our guide for prospective buyers
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31
Two bronze resin children playing with a stone
each signed John a/c
the seated boy 46cm high, the girl 69cm long
£600-1000
32
A bronze of Genevieve sleeping
23cm high by 97cm long £1500-2500
33 A bronze figure of a bear signed John
21cm long, together with a bronze rabbit indistinctly signed Richard Adams 4/10, 23cm high
£200-400
Richard Adams was the author of the well known book on rabbits, Watership Down. Originally this figure was produced as part of a treasure hunt to raise money for charity, which did not take place. The rabbit was the last sculpture created by John Robinson before he died in 2007.
28
34
A bronze group of two baseball players
signed John 1/12 and dated ‘73 43cm long £200-400
35
A bronze group of two gymnasts
signed John 1/10 and dated ‘70 20cm high £150-250
36
A bronze resin group of two heads entitled Lovers
signed John ‘69 43cm high
This group was on display in All Hallows Church by the Tower of London.
Literature: See vol 1 page 223-224. Further pictures and details on our website.
£300-500
For details of our buyers premium which is added onto the hammer price together with any other applicable charges please refer to our guide for prospective buyers
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37
A bronze figure of a girl with Great Dane
100cm high
This was sculpted as a companion piece to the Boy with Great Dane, lot 26.
Literature: See Vol I, page 233. Further pictures and details on our website.
£3000-5000
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38 A monumental bronze resin group of acrobats signed John 500cm high
This iconic sculpture, arguably John’s most well known and acclaimed piece was originally conceived during a trip to Greece in the 1970’s. Based on the original Olympian athletes dating back to the 8th century BC in ancient Greece, John started with a 16inch bronze maquette, which he then scaled up to a monumental scale.
Being very practical, he ingeniously made a joint on the wrist of the upper acrobat, which is reinforced with a steel rod, making transport and erection relatively simple. The first cast was mounted at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Maui, Hawaii. There are another 7 examples around the world, one of which is located outside the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, Australia.
Literature: See Vol I pages 253, 275, 341, 432, Vol II, 453-455, 465-8, Symbolism, sculptures and Tapestries page 6.
£10,000-15,000
For details of our buyers premium which is added onto the hammer price together with any other applicable charges please refer to our guide for prospective buyers
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39
A bronze resin group of the birth of Adam
signed John ‘69 47cm high by 76cm wide
Following a trip to the Rodin museum in Paris and admiring his work, John produced this work of a baby being born, umbilical cord still attached and being raised by the arm of God from Mother Earth. An anaesthetist friend, Jimmy Smart, observed that he thought the baby too big and invited John to observe a birth by caesarean section.
Literature: See Vol I, page 223. Further pictures and details on our website.
£100-200
40
A bronze portrait bust of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother
titled Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, dated 1981, signed John on marble base
55cm high, together with a photograph of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, 1981
Commissioned by Folkestone Council whose offices are based in Hythe, which is one of the ancient Cinque Ports of which Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother was Warden.
Literature: See Vol I, pages 367-9. Further pictures and details on our website.
£200-400
41
A bronze portrait bust of Her Majesty the Queen
stamped EIIR signed John and dated 1982 on marble base
56cm high, together with a framed photograph of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Tank Regiment 1983, and a framed linen tape measure originally used to measure Her Majesty’s head for the commission.
Literature: See Vol I pages 368-371. Further pictures and details on our website.
£200-400
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42
A plaster portrait bust of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother
signed Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother 1981 and signed John, 40cm high, together with a plaster bust of Genevieve signed John dated ‘87 and inscribed Genevieve, 30cm high, and a composition mannequin dummy head on wooden base, 38cm high. The plaster portrait bust of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother is the original plaster maquette for lot 40.
Literature: See Vol I, pages 367-9. Further pictures and details on our website.
£150-250
43 A resin bust of a girl signed John ‘70 on wooden base
44cm high, together with two other plaster portrait busts on wooden bases the larger 49cm high and signed John
£150-250
44 A plaster portrait bust of Her Majesty The Queen inscribed EIIR 1982 and signed John
45cm high, together with a plaster portrait bust of Uncle Jo signed John and dated ‘69 on wooden base, 43cm high, a plaster bust and partial mould of Joan of Arc, 47cm high and a plaster torso of a child, 44cm high
Literature: This is the plaster original of the bronze bust of her Majesty the Queen, See lot 41. See also Vol 1, pages 368-371 for more details and photographs of the bust of her Majesty; Vol 1 page 196 for a photo and details of Uncle Jo Palmer; and Vol I page 411-412 for details and photographs of John’s wife Margie as Joan of Arc as well as the bronze head lot 41. Further pictures and details on our website.
£150-250
For details of our buyers premium which is added onto the hammer price together with any other applicable charges please refer to our guide for prospective buyers
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45
A bronze of Prometheus and the Eagle
on marble base 20cm high
Literature: See Vol I, page 239. Further pictures and details on our website.
£150-250
47 A bronze reclining cat 18cm wide £100-150
48 A bronze group entitled Hera’s cuckoo signed John 2/10 and dated ‘73, 20cm high
Following an extended holiday around Europe, John became fascinated by Greek mythology. This group depicts Zeus personified as a cuckoo and preying on the goddess Hera’s love of animals, Zeus pretended to be in distress outside her window. Hera, feeling pity towards the bird brought it inside and held it to her breast to warm it.
Literature: See Vol I, page 252. Further pictures and details on our website.
£200-400
46
A bronze bust of Joan of Arc
signed John, ‘72 2/10 on marble base, 44cm high
Literature: Vol I page 411-412 for details and photographs of John’s wife Margie as Joan of Arc as well as the original
plaster, lot 44. Further pictures and details on our website.
£150-250
49
A bronze bust of the sculptor’s son, Peter Robinson
signed John and initialled PLR ‘83 and with Singer foundry stamp, on marble
base, 53cm high
Literature: See Vol I, page 457-8. Further pictures and details on our website.
£100-200
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The following lots, some of which aren’t recorded in any of the relevant literature are inspired by John’s interest in symbolic sculpture focusing on simple shapes such as the ovoid, or egg, the symbol of life, together with spirals as a symbol of mystic knowledge.
50
A polished bronze entitled Womb
stamped JR 1/9 ‘80 III on marble base, 35cm high
Literature: See Symbolic Sculpture, page 47
£200-400
51
An abstract bronze of the bull horns of Knossos
stamped JR ‘75 6/9 on wooden base, 36cm high
£200-400
52
A bronze sculpture entitled Elation
stamped JR ‘85, 2/9 and with foundry stamp Moriani Pietrosante, Italy
200cm high
Originally conceived in 1983, there are examples in The Philip Trust collection, The International Olympic Committee collection, The Benbasset collection and the Robert Hefner II collection in Aspen.
Literature: See Symbolic Sculptures page7, 29 and 113 and Symbolism, Sculptures and tapestries, page 14-15 and Vol II page 529 and 605. Further pictures and details on our
website.
£1000-2000
For details of our buyers premium which is added onto the hammer price together with any other applicable charges please refer to our guide for prospective buyers
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53
5455
56
A bronze roundel on marble base 30cm high £100-200
A similar circular bronze roundel
on marble base 30cm high £100-200
Another similar with a sphere
on marble base 30cm high £100-200
Abstract bronze of a semi-hemisphere within a roundel
on marble base 30cm high £100-200
57
A bronze circular ring30cm diameter£100-20058
A bronze spiral ring entitled Rhythm of Life
stamped JR9L 3/9 and with foundry stamp
31cm high
This was originally conceived to be suspended within a bronze circle.
Literature: See Symbolic sculpture page 31 and 111 and Vol II page 600.
£150-250
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59
A bronze group of three ovoids
on marble base 30cm high £200-400
60
An abstract bronze entitled Sun Moon Ovary
on marble base 38cm high
Literature: See Symbolic Sculpture page 40 and 119 and Vol II page 601
£200-400
61
A painted and stainless steel abstract group entitled Evolution
on composition stone base 190cm high
This piece and the example in bronze lot 69 were inspired by a visit to Romania by the Robinsons in 1996, where John fell under the influence of the sculptor Constantin Brancusi and in particular Brancusi’s Endless Column, which stands close to Brancusi’s birthplace Turgu-Jiu.
Literature: See Vol II pages 517,528, Vol III page 909. An example is on display at the Museum of the Rockies in Montana.
£1000-1500
For details of our buyers premium which is added onto the hammer price together with any other applicable charges please refer to our guide for prospective buyers
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63
An iron sculpture made up of axe heads on roof ridge base
French, mid 20th century 135cm long
Bought by the Robinson family whilst on holiday in Provence. The axe heads represent a bishop, choir boys and a nun following a processional cross. Family tradition has it that the figure leading the procession is the bishop of Bath and Wells.
£400-600
64
A stainless steel hanging dodecahedron
71cm high £150-250
62
An abstract bronze and stainless steel group entitled Innocence
stamped JR ‘89, 1/9 Moriani, Pietrosante, Italy foundry stamp, 120cm high
Conceived in 1988 as part of the symbolic series, there is an example in the Philip Trust collection.
Literature: See Symbolic sculpture page 71 and 109-10 and Vol II page 594.
£600-1000
38
The following 4 lots were all painted by John, at various stages of his career. He was particularly drawn to Matisse and executed a number of fresco type pictures for the Aspen home of his Patron, Robert Hefnor III, including Matisse’s iconic picture, The Dance.. see lot 65. It is a credit to John’s incredible versatility that he was able to work in so many mediums, including paintings and tapestries which were woven by the Aubusson factory in France.
65 After Matisse The Dance Oil on canvas
122cm high by 153cm wide
66 After Van Gogh
A low countries bridge scene
Oil on canvas
122cm high by 153cm wide
£100-200
67
A nude in a bedroom setting
Oil on canvas
62cm by 52cm, together with an oil on canvas of an aqueduct in wooden frame, 60cm high by 50cm wide
£100-200
68 After Matisse Girl reclining Oil on canvas
152cm high by 100cm wide
£100-200
£100-200
For details of our buyers premium which is added onto the hammer price together with any other applicable charges please refer to our guide for prospective buyers
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69
A bronze abstract entitled Evolution
mounted on steel plate 238cm high
Literature: See Vol II pages 517,528 and lot 61.
£1500-2500
70
A collection of bronze portrait relief heads
together with a quantity of promotional material relating to John Robinson including screen print posters etc
£100-200
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