Robert Holmes Monumental Bronze Sculpture of Ballet Dancer

Item Details

Robert Holmes (California, 1927 – 2016)
Untitled (abstract ballet dancer), 1991
Bronze sculpture
Signed in mold to the right leg
Numbered 1/7

A monumental bronze abstract figural sculpture by Robert Holmes. The work depicts a ballet dancer in the midst of a double attitude jump with both legs raised and bent and with arms in fourth position épaulement. The piece is signed in mold to the inner right thigh, dated 1991, and numbered one in an edition of seven. It is mounted on a metal support post attached to the left leg.

Robert Holmes, known for his abstract figural sculptures, had an early affinity for sculpture and the arts. However, as a child raised during the Great Depression he was encouraged to pursue a more practical career and followed in his father’s footsteps designing and building homes. He earned a degree in civil engineering from the University of Arizona, and started his own construction and design business in San Francisco. He moved his business to the Phoenix area in 1958, and designed and built not only contemporary homes, but also banks, apartment buildings, churches, and bridges. In 1981, he sold his business and decided to focus solely on sculpture, and in 1989, started his own foundry to gain more control over the design and quality of his work. Holmes often drew on his engineering background and his years as an architectural developer going so far as to create scale models of his works and their surrounds to better show clients how his pieces would fit into an installation. He has participated in numerous exhibitions regionally and around the world and his work can be found in several corporate, private, and public collections including the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Lincoln, Massachusetts; Copelouzos Art Museum, Athens, Greece; and Del Mar Sculpture Garden, Del Mar, California.

Provenance
This item is being offered to benefit the Columbus Dance Theater.

• Please note, this is an item that may be especially difficult to move and/or transport. The winner is responsible for bringing appropriate assistance, vehicle, proper materials, and any necessary tools to pickup. International shipping may be restricted.

Condition

- nicks, abrasions, marks, and wear to patina throughout; scratches to edges notably to feet and hands; green patina to underside of legs and and arms; discolored mark to front of left leg; larger pipe fits over lower half of support post.

Dimensions

- measures sculpture including support; without support sculpture measures 48.0" H.

Item #

ITMG258551