Bath painting
5 ft / 152,5 cm
The theme of this sculpture is the poor person’s pride that comes when one has nothing left in life but honour… which is not for sale.
Each movement, each element – feet, legs, arms, hands, fingers – taken on its own, bespeaks pride.
The feet are wrapped in bandages like those of a wounded dancer determined to keep on dancing in spite of the pain. The legs are firmly planted; one announces bravado, the other the pride of success. The buttocks are proud and tight. The clothes evoke the bullfighter (cut below the knee and well above the waist, at the torso), the ballet dancer (the tights) and the flamenco dancer (the belt wrapped across the ribs). The movement of the arms is reminiscent of a flamenco pose.
The bullfighter is wearing jewellery: a Gipsy ring in his ear and a rebellious ring in his eyebrow. His ancient face bears traces of past and future fights. His gaze is turned toward the ground, like one who sees without looking.
His cape lies useless at his feet. Rather than a matador’s headgear, he is wearing a beggar’s cap.
Treatment
Bronze (5ft/152.5cm) on a granite base. Ferric nitrate enhanced with various orange pigments has been applied to the skin and cape. The bandages are off-white and the hair, bluish black. An epoxide varnish seals the sculpture’s patina for outdoor display. On the artist’s proofs, the jewellery is solid ten-carat gold.
A series of eight and four artist’s proofs.
