Lot 22: ALAN LYDIATE DURST

ALAN LYDIATE DURST 1883-1970 GIRL WITH HEADDRESS signed with initials and dated 1938 marble height: 33cm.; 13in.

Alan Durst was a British sculptor of figures, animals and religious subjects. He studied at the Central School of Art and Design from 1913-20, although this was interrupted while serving for the Royal Marines between 1914 and 1918. In 1920 he turned to sculpture and adopted a direct carving technique similarly employed by Henry Moore, John Skeaping and Barbara Hepworth. He worked nearly entirely in stone, wood and ivory and the hands-on approach of direct carving allowed for a fine and sensitive handling of the material. One of his most notable commissions is a series of carved figures he designed for the entrance of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.