About this artwork

Crabs were an important motif in Meadows’s art. This is one of a large number of sculptures and drawings on the theme, made mainly in the 1950s. He became interested in them while stationed on the Cocos Islands in the South Indian Ocean during the Second World War. Meadows described his sculptures of this time as 'human substitutes… vehicles expressing my feelings about human beings.' Meadows’s animal sculptures enabled him to develop as a sculptor beyond the influence of Henry Moore (who was known for his sculpted figures) with whom he had a long-lasting friendship.

Updated before 2020

  • artist:
    Bernard Meadows (1915 - 2005) English
  • title:
    Maquette for Crab
  • date created:
    About 1957
  • materials:
    Plaster
  • measurements:
    49.00 cm (height)
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    Accepted in lieu of inheritance tax 2011
  • accession number:
    GMA 5164
  • gallery:
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Bernard Meadows

Bernard Meadows