Charles Sargeant Jagger (British, 1885-1934)

Lot description

Charles Sargeant Jagger (British, 1885-1934) Charles Sargeant Jagger (British, 1885-1934) Cathal and the Woodfolk plaster relief 49.5 x 78.2 cm. (19 1/2 x 31 in.) Conceived in 1914 Please note this work is accompanied with a photograph of Jagger's No Man's Land (1919-20) including a dedication 'To Norah and Claude Senecal with fondest remembrances from Charles Sargeant Jagger'. The photograph was given and dedicated to the family of present owner, who were regular visitors as per their address book in which Jaggar is mentioned. it thought that the present work was gifted by Jaggar to the family. Literature Ann Compton (ed.), War and Peace Sculpture Centenary Exhibition 1885-1985, Imperial War Museum, London, 1985, pp. 56-57, no.51, the bronze cast (ill.b&w.) Ann Compton, The Sculpture of Charles Sargeant Jagger, Much Hadham, 2004, p. 109, no. 12, bronze (ill.b&w.) The original bronze has been in important private collections, including that of Sir Robert Mond (1867-1938), British chemist and archaeologist. The bronze is now in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum and was exhibited at both The Royal Academy in May 1914 and much later at the Imperial War Museum in 1985. The V&A documents the bronze as the earliest known piece in which Jagger produced for the purpose of exhibition at the Royal Academy. This particular work titled Cathal and the Woodfolk, pays tribute to Cathal, the Irish hero, who is surrounded by woodland figures or fantastical spirits. The work clearly departs from much of Jagger's traditional oeuvre given it incorporates movement, storytelling and themes of folklore. The bronze relief was produced with the intension of being viewed in a gallery. Jagger pays reference to multiple sculptural practices from New Sculpture of the late 19th Century using realistic imaginations of the human body to Italian Renaissance with Jagger's handling of bronze. In stark contrast, Charles Sargeant Jagger is most remembered for his commemorative memorials of the First World War, found through London, the most iconic works include Royal Artillery Memorial at Hyde Park Corner, and Great Western Railway War Memorial, in Paddington. These works are not only monumental in scale but embody our contemporary perception of what a monument is fixed, static and permanent, not only in place but also subject matter and execution. Cathal and the Woodfolk is rendered with more fluidity, movement and narrative.