Known primarily as a sculptor, Leon Underwood has been called the father of modern sculpture in Britain. Influenced by African and Cycladic designs, Underwood's rhythmic shapes symbolize myth and humanity, informed by the study of the figure. But Underwood exhibited a remarkably diversified talent; he painted and sculpted, was a lecturer, writer, engraver and graphic artist, (Underwood founded the magazine The Island, in 1931 and produced several books regarding masks, wood carvings, and bronzes.) His subject matter ranged from portraiture and still life to landscapes inspired by Mexico.
Underwood was born in London on December 25, 1890. He attended the Slade School of Art and studied under Frank Short at the Royal College of Art. Underwood taught life drawing at the Royal College of Art in the 1920's and eventually opened his own school in Hammersmith in 1921, emphasizing to his students the importance of content and meaning, and faithfulness to materials over more popular art theories of his day. His students included Eileen Agar, Gertrude Hermes, Blair Hughes-Stanton and most famously, Henry Moore . Underwood was also an early supporter of Ralph Chubb and tried unsuccessfully to promote his work.
In his search for significant subject matter Underwood travelled to Poland, Iceland, Spain, Mexico and Africa . His interest in Mexico was inspired by an exhibit of ancient Mexican art at the British Museum. It was while working as an illustrator in New York in 1927 that he got the idea to do a book retracing a journey through Mexico that John L Stevens and the artist Catherwood originally undertook in 1839. Underwood set off with his friend Phillips Russell in January of 1928, traveling down the southeastern shore of the Gulf of Mexico, up the rivers of Tabasco and over the Sierra Madre to the Pacific, east of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. He made a copious number of drawings that provided inspiration not just for the book but also as reference for his own paintings and sculpture for at least a decade. |
Hover over Image %20Still%20Life%20with%20Pears%2014%20X%2018%20Oil%20on%20Canvas%20B.jpg)
Still Life with Pears ~ Price Code B
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