Elisabeth Frink BRITISH, 1930-1993

Overview

Elisabeth Frink was a British sculptor and printmaker most well-known for her large busts of men and animals. Frink’s childhood was spent near an airbase in Suffolk, where she became a firsthand witness to the physical and mental damage that the Second World War wreaked on British soldiers. Her proximity to an airbase meant hearing frequent air raids and plane crashes—these experiences would later inform Frink’s practice, as she would go on to capture the poignant valor and vulnerability of man. At 22, she had her first solo show at the Beaux Arts Gallery in London, and the Tate Gallery purchased a work from the exhibition. She became widely known for her public commissions, particularly _Risen Christ_ in Liverpool Cathedral, which was installed one week before her death in 1993. In 1969, she was made a Commander of the British Empire. She was made a Dame in 1982, and in 1992, Queen Elizabeth II made her a Companion of Honor.

Works