Lord Byron, Small-Scale, [Plaster]

Lord Byron, Small-Scale, [Plaster]

Figure sculpture, American--20th century

"His last monumental work, Lord Byron, designed in 1938, enlarged by the artist, and cast posthumously in 1998 for the Marshall Fredericks Sculpture Museum paradoxically seems to refer back to Fredericks's earliest influences. This literary figure, clearly inspired by Rodin's Balzac, strikes a shameless dramatic pose: head flung back with his hand on his forehead, heavy cloak partially pulled around his body with the other hand flying out to the side and back. Fredericks, in contrast to the symmetry that generally characterizes his designs, treated each side of the Byron figure in a different manner. Along its right side, the figure is closed and solid. The drop of the heavy cloak does not allow for articulation of forms or even for suggestion of the body beneath. Rather, the artist exploits the long, unbroken line of the cloak from the figure's chin to the ground. In contrast, the figure's left side is open and plastic with elbow and knee flung out at an angle from the nipped-in waist. Like Sun Worshipper, Lord Byron represents an important mid-career design that he was only able to realize in large scale at the end of his career."Marshall Fredericks, Suzanne P. "Marshall M. Fredericks, Sculptor", Saginaw Valley State University, 2003. p. 15


This model of Lord Byron was first sculpted in 1938 while Marshall was at Cranbrook. The plaster has tape on it with marking lines for scaling with the pantograph.

Fredericks, Marshall M., 1908-1998

1938

Use of this image requires permission from the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum

Sculpture

University Center (Mich.)

21" x 10.5"

Plaster

2000.277

Sculptors Studio

11/15/2000 gifted to MFSM

March/April 2003 relocated to Sculptor's Studio