Dame Elisabeth Frink, R.A. (1930-1993), Seated Baboon

Dame Elisabeth Frink, R.A. (1930-1993)
Seated Baboon
signed and numbered ‘Frink 8/9’ (on the underside)
bronze with a light green and light brown patina
15 ¼ in. (38.8 cm.) long
Conceived in 1989.

Special Notice

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Pre-Lot Text
PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF MARY CARSWELL
The following group of bronzes and works on paper by Dame Elisabeth Frink were collected by Frink’s close friend and supporter, Mary Carswell (1933-2018). Based in New York with her husband Robert Carswell, Mary led a distinguished career in the non-profit sector in both the arts and social services. This included being president and founding board member of The New York Academy of Art in 1982, a devoted board member of the Clark Art Institute, and her role as Executive Director of The MacDowell Colony, a working retreat for artists.
Mary and Elisabeth Frink first met in 1983, as their mutual friend Ann Christopher explained, ‘Lis and I were both members of the Royal Academy and in 1983 were the only two female sculptors!! Ken [Cook] and I were helping Lis install her 1983 exhibition at the Terry Dintenfass Gallery when a lady walked in - it was Mary with a photograph of a Frink horse, she asked him if this was the same artist - it was. Ken then introduced Mary to Lis. After their brief conversation Mary asked Ken which sculpture he thought was the best piece - he said Standing Horse (known by Lis and Ken as Ghost Horse). A few years later when Ken and I returned to New York we discovered Mary had bought the horse and it was that point on that we became close friends with Mary and Bob’.
Mary’s collection, including two important works by Alex Katz, is to be offered for sale in a series of auctions at Christie’s throughout 2019 and is testament to Mary's passion and endorsement of Frink’s and Katz's work. The group of sculptures provides a varied representation of Frink’s much-loved animals, from her horses and dogs to her baboons and eagles. The collection also includes a striking example of arguably her most synonymous subject: the male figure. Green Man, never offered at auction before, is a powerful and ancient symbol of regeneration and the fertility of spring, symbolised by his head adorned with leaves.
Mary was one of Frink's most important patrons - largely buying directly from Frink - and the two corresponded across the Atlantic over a period of ten years as Mary's carefully curated collection of Frink's works grew.