Frank Dobson: Selected Sculpture 1915-54

Frank Dobson was born in London in 1886, the son of a commercial artist. His interest in sculpture was fostered during a brief but significant period as a studio assistant to Sir William Reynolds-Stephens, a sculptor at the forefront of the ‘New Sculpture Movement’.

However, it was not until 1912 that Dobson began experimenting seriously with sculpture, producing his first work, a portrait of King George V. His devotion to sculpture quickly consumed his time, interrupted only by the First World War and ill health.

With the death of Henri Gaudier-Brzeska during the First World War, the art press and public alike were looking for a new champion for the avant-garde, and they felt they had found their successor in Dobson. Much praise and attention was duly heaped upon him and in 1920, Dobson was the only sculptor to be included in Wyndham Lewis’ Group X exhibition at the Mansard Gallery. Two of the works shown at Group X – Pigeon Boy and Baby’s Head – are included in this exhibition.

Dobson’s growing fame secured him notable commissions in the early 1920s, but the proceeding years saw his reputation begin to diminish. His work was increasingly seen as part of the establishment, and was neglected or dismissed as ‘derivative’ by his critics. His work was undeniably a synthesis of many different styles, from the Mediterranean to the Far East, though always firmly remained his own.

Nevertheless, Dobson remained an active practitioner of his craft until his death in 1963. He held the post of Professor of Sculpture at the Royal College of Art from 1940-53 – on the recommendation of Henry Moore, a life-long admirer of Dobson’s work – and continued to run a busy studio and exhibit publicly until 1954.