Siegfried Charoux R.A.
(1896–1967)
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Siegfried Charoux R.A. (1896–1967) was a renowned Hungarian and British sculptor, painter and caricaturist. Following the rise of Nazism, Charoux fled Austria in 1935 due to growing hostility towards his left-wing political views. Settling in England, Charoux was initially interned on the Isle of Man in 1940 as a so-called 'enemy alien,' while being listed for execution on Hitler’s Black Book.
Charoux was released from internment with the intervention of Lord Aster and he continued a successful sculpting career. A British citizen since 1946, he became an Associate of the Royal Academy (A.R.A.) in 1949 and a full member (R.A.) in 1956. He was a lecturer at the R.A. Sculpture School and received numerous public commissions in Great Britain and Austria.
In 1951, he produced one of the most well-known Festival of Britain sculptures: an extraordinary monumental piece called The Islanders which was displayed on the South Bank.
Cal Smith Gallery presents five exceptional pieces by Siegfried Charoux, as part of a wider collection of works by Émigré Artists.
Sculptures
Lovers, 1936
An exceptional early bronze made by the artist shortly after Charoux’s arrival in the UK. This piece sits in continuation with his latest Viennese works which were concerned with Viennese Secessionism and the works of Gustav Klimpt, such as Pair which was made just a year earlier and strongly echoes The Kiss.
The figure’s proportions are early examples of Charoux’s distinctive angularity and dynamism.
H. 107cm x W. 35cm x D. 33cm
Signed and dated by the artist
Price on Application
Two Heads, 1936
Strikingly tender oversized heads in lead, produced in London on the same year as Lovers. Although figurative in style, the strong jaw line of the male figure’s face conveys an affirmation towards the influence of Cubism and is reminiscent of Charoux’s The Pedestrian, 1951.
H. 47cm x W. 36cm
Signed and dated by the artist
Price on Application
Sketches
Internment Camp, 1940
A historically important sketch made by Charoux during his internment on the Isle of Man as an ‘enemy alien’. This followed Churchill’s decision in May 1940 to “collar the lot” which resulted in the internment of 30.000 mostly German and Austrian refugees who had fled Nazism. Many political and Jewish artists found themselves on the Isle of Man, and creativity flourished with exhibitions on the camp.
Ink on paper
Titled, signed and dated to top left
H. 37cm x W. 29cm (excluding frame)
[SOLD]
Nude Sketches, 1942 [ONE SOLD]
A pair of ink on paper study sketches of female figures, perhaps preparatory drawings for sculptures.
Signed and dated, and displayed in their original limed oak frames with acid-free mounts. Charoux clearly intended for these sketches to be displayed, as indicated by the prominent signature and date as well as framing suggestions hidden under the mounts.
H. 42cm x W. 27cm (excluding frame)
Price on Application
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