Franta Belsky
Franta Belsky | |
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Born | František Bělský 6 April 1921 |
Died | 5 July 2000 Abingdon-on-Thames, England | (aged 79)
Known for | Sculpture |
Movement | Modern sculpture, Modernism |
Awards |
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František Bělský (also known as Franta Belsky; 6 April 1921 – 5 July 2000) was a
He was known for large-scale abstract works of
Biography
He was born in
In 1940, the Czechoslovak Exile Army was evacuated to Britain along with other Allied forces in the Dunkirk evacuation. Five weeks later, the Czechoslovaks were presented in a military parade for ceremonial inspection by the then Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Belsky recalled that Churchill stopped in front him, leaning on his walking stick with his chin thrust out, holding his hat in his hand, and looked Belsky in the eye for a prolonged time. Under Churchill's gaze, Belsky thought, "You wait, one day I shall model a statue of you, just like this".[1]
Career
Belsky was
Belsky continued his studies at the Royal College of Art, studying under Frank Dobson and John Skeaping, graduating with an Honours Diploma in 1950. He received his first public commission for the Festival of Britain in 1951. A number of commissions followed, and was awarded the medal for sculpture by the Paris Salon, winning bronze in 1955 and silver in 1956.[2]
His work included not only traditional statues and busts, but also large-scale more abstract works. He produced a number of statues of
Belsky was the first foreign-born sculptor to create a work for
In 1990, Belsky returned to Prague and worked on two monumental works, a statue of Winston Churchill outside the British Embassy and a memorial to Czechoslovaks who had served with the British Royal Air Force. Belsky was awarded the
Among other honors Belsky won the
Personal life
In 1944, he married Margaret Owen the newspaper cartoonist, who signed her own work Belsky. After her death in 1989, in 1996 he remarried fellow sculptor Irena Sedlecká.
Death and burial
Franta Belsky died in Abingdon-on-Thames from prostate cancer on 5 July 2000. He was buried in the churchyard of All Saints' Church, Sutton Courtenay.[1]
Selected works
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Statue ofLord Louis Mountbatten, Horse Guards Parade, London
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Bust of Andrew Browne Cunningham, Trafalgar Square, London (1967)
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Triga on Knightsbridge, London
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Bust of Winston Churchill, Malá Strana, Prague
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Joy Ride, Stevenage
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Torsion, Waterloo, London (1957)
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Totem, Arndale Centre, Manchester (1977)
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Leap, Jamestown Harbour, London (1989)
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Memorial plaque to Czechoslovak paratroopers, Prague (1995)
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The Lesson, Bethnal Green (1956)
Belsky was prolific sculptor and his works are held by local authority collections across Britain, corporate offices and collections in the United States and Europe. His trademark trick was to hide inside his sculptures a newspaper front page, a coin of that year and a signed note inside a Guinness bottle.[2]
- Kore (1949)
- Cock (1950)
- Pegasus Seated (1952)
- Constellation, Colchester (1953)
- Girl (1955)
- Tigra, Knightsbridge, London (1958)
- The Lesson, Bethnal Green, London (1959)[4]
- Torsion, Shell Centre, South Bank, London (1961)
- William Herschel Memorial, Observatory House, Slough (1969)
- Totem, Arndale Centre, Manchester (1977)
- Lovers (1983)
- Leap, Jamestown Harbour, London (1988)
- Memorial to Czechoslovak paratroopers, Prague (1995)
Portrait sculptures:
- Peter Ustinov (1952)
- Ann Clegg (1958)
- the wife of Dimitrios Konstantinidis (1961)
- Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1962)
- Harry S. Truman (1975)
- Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Horse Guards Parade, London (1983)
- Sally Korda (1983)
- Prince William(1985)
Five bronze busts by Belsky are held in the National Portrait Gallery, London:[5]
- Cecil Day-Lewis (1952)
- Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1979)
- Queen Elizabeth II(1981)
- Prince Andrew, Duke of York (1984)
- John Piper (1987)
References
- Sculpture, Franta Belsky (ISBN 978-0-302-00613-9).
- The Churchill Papers, The Churchill Centre.
- ^ a b c d e f g Nathan, David (6 July 2000). "Franta Belsky". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Papers of Franta Belsky". JISC Archives Hub. Henry Moore Institute Archive. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ISBN 9780853235675. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- ^ "Franta Belsky's Sculpture In Bethnal Green | Spitalfields Life". spitalfieldslife.com. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
- ^ "Franta Belsky (1921-2000), Sculptor". National Portrait Gallery. Archived from the original on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
External links
- "Photo portraits of Franta Belsky". National Portrait Gallery. 1955–1981. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2019.