Portland stone
Tate Collection
Works with images
Works on loan
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/frank-dobson-1014" aria-label="More by Frank Dobson" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Frank Dobson</a>
Torso
Purchased 1948
adults
body
female
fine arts and music
nudes
objects
people
sculpture, Assyrian
sculpture, Egyptian
torso
woman
<p>Dobson always looked to the human form, mostly naked and female, for his source material, and always worked from life. He began his artistic career in 1914 as a painter and it was only around 1919 that he turned his attention to sculpture. Torso, with its simplified form and flowing lines, was no doubt the result of his study of ancient Egyptian, Assyrian, Peruvian and African art in the British Museum, and his interest in the principles of Cubism. These were the key influences that first inspired him to make sculpture.</p><p><em>Gallery label, August 2004</em></p>
sculpture portland stone
1 January 2001
1 August 2009 – 28 February 2027
2027-02-28
2009-08-01
Victoria and Albert Museum (London, UK)
http://www.vam.ac.uk
2001-01-01
Long loan to V&A
Loan-out
16 May 2005 – 29 January 2006
2006-01-29
16 May 2005 – 29 January 2006
2006-01-29
2005-05-16
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2005-05-16
Sculpture 1933-1945
Collection based display
1 July 2006 – 30 June 2009
2009-06-30
30 October 2006 – 30 June 2009
2009-06-30
2006-10-30
Victoria and Albert Museum (London, UK)
http://www.vam.ac.uk
2006-07-01
Victoria & Albert Museum
Loan-out
Torso
object: 673 × 203 × 203 mm, 32.6 kg
Purchased 1948
<p>Dobson always looked to the human form,  mostly naked and female, for his source  material, and always worked from life. He  began his artistic career in 1914 as a painter  and it was only around 1919 that he turned  his attention to <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/s/sculpture" title="Glossary definition for 'Sculpture'"><span>sculpture</span></a>. Torso, with its  simplified form and flowing lines, was no  doubt the result of his study of ancient  Egyptian, Assyrian, Peruvian and African  art in the British Museum, and his interest  in the principles of <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/c/cubism" title="Glossary definition for 'Cubism'"><span>Cubism</span></a>. These were  the key influences that first inspired him  to make sculpture. </p>
Display caption
2004-08-18T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><b>N05874</b> TORSO 1933
<br/> 
<br/>Not inscribed.
<br/>Portland stone, 26 1/2×8×8 (67×20×20), including base.
<br/>Purchased from the Leicester Galleries (Knapping Fund) 1948.
<br/><i>Coll:</i> Lord Ivor Spencer Churchill; Leicester Galleries.
<br/><i>Exh:</i> Leicester Galleries, April–May 1935 (20).
<br/><i>Repr:</i> Stanley Casson, <i>Artists at Work</i>, 1933, p.32; Earp, 1945, pl.14.</p>
<p>Made in 1933, one of several torsos dating from between 1930 and 1935.</p>
<p><b>Published in:</b>
<br/>Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, <i>The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture</i>, London 1964, I</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-07-22T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
adults body female fine arts and music nudes objects people sculpture, Assyrian sculpture, Egyptian torso woman