Acrobat
About this artwork
This sculpture was inspired by a circus acrobat that Turnbull had seen in Paris. He made several drawings of his ideas, but the actual piece was not made until 1951 when Turnbull had moved back to London. Balance was a key aspect of Turnbull’s work throughout his career. In this sculpture it is personified by the figure itself, balancing on a single wheel. The motif of the acrobat was used by Paul Klee a number of times in his works, often in the form of line drawings. Klee was a major influence on artists such as Turnbull in Britain in the early post-war years.
Updated before 2020
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artist:William Turnbull (1922 - 2012) Scottish
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title:Acrobat
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date created:1951
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materials:Bronze on a stone base
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measurements:111.10 x 81.20 x 55.90 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Purchased from the Henry and Sula Walton Fund with help from Art Fund, 2014
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accession number:GMA 5492
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gallery:
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artwork photographed by:Antonia Reeve
William Turnbull
William Turnbull
Turnbull was born in Dundee. He left school at 15 and worked as an illustrator on detective and romance stories for the local publishing house, DC Thompson, while studying art at evening classes. After serving as an RAF pilot in the Second World War, Turnbull studied at the Slade School of Art in...