A Finely Carved Marble Study of a Pair of Hands by Frederick Hawkins Piercy c.1880

Origin: English
Period: Late Victorian
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1880
Height: 11”
Width: 16”
Depth: 6” (all at extremities) 

The wonderfully fashioned and expertly proportioned Victorian period marble carving in the form of an emerging pair of hands, showing the wrists, the subject cloaked and the whole signed F PIERCY to the top flank, surviving from 1880.

The condition of the whole is pleasing with a good even spread of weathering commensurate with exposure to the elements giving the sculpture an evocative all round character and colour. The marble could be cleaned extensively in its entirety though we wouldn’t recommend it with the patination and character most agreeable. There are the obvious historical losses as photographed to three fingers. It displays well on a good plate stand as photographed.

Frederick Hawkins Piercy, (active 1879-1880) was a sculptor and art master at Bedford College who often went by Hawkins Piercy to distinguish himself from his father. Frederick Hawkins Piercy was born in London and was the son of Frederick Piercy (1830-91), a portrait painter and the grandson of George Piercy (c.1795-1882 born in Portsmouth) a modeller specialising in naval architectural work. He studied at Royal Academy Schools 1879 and was awarded a first silver medal for a model of a statue or group in 1879. Living at 534 Caledonian Road London in 1880 he then exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition). The proportions are splendid in this work with fluidity in the clothing and the sculptor was clearly exceptionally talented.

A rare work by a relatively unknown sculptor whose light needs to be seen.