🌿 Modernist British Cubist-Style Limestone Face Relief Sculpture — Circa 1970s, in the Manner of Picasso and the John Milne School

🧩 Catalogue Description
A striking Modernist British stone face relief, hand-carved from fine-grained Lincolnshire oolitic limestone, embodying the enduring reach of Cubism within 1970s Modernist sculpture.
The artist merges frontal and profile viewpoints — a hallmark of Picasso’s Cubist vocabulary — producing a rhythmic play of shadow over faceted planes. The visage is refined to essential geometry: a single flowing contour forms brow and nose, while delicate linear cuts denote eyes and mouth.
Emerging organically from the block, the face reflects post-war Modernist ideals of truth to materials, transforming raw limestone into quiet meditation.
Its planar treatment echoes the abstraction cultivated within the John Milne School — born from Barbara Hepworth’s studio ethos — where form and spirit intertwine. This sculpture bridges early Cubist innovation with later British material clarity, continuing Modernism’s dialogue between geometry and the human condition.

🪨 Material

• Hand-carved Lincolnshire limestone with warm buff-grey tonality and natural fossil inclusions

• Unique direct-carved artwork (not cast or editioned)

• Natural weathered patina with moss and lichen from outdoor aging

📏 Dimensions

• Height: 35 cm

• Width: 30 cm

• Depth: 9 cm

• Weight: 19 kg

🖋️ Markings
Faint incised lettering beneath — “P.H. BOSLL GL” and “Youatt” — likely referencing a stonemason or carving workshop, consistent with regional British stoneworking practice.

⚒️ Condition
Good overall condition with minor edge chips, small surface losses, and natural weathering from outdoor placement.
Structurally stable; the timeworn surface enhances its sculptural depth.

🏛️ Provenance

• Acquired from an architectural antiques dealer in Lincolnshire

• Curated and presented by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD

💚 Why You’ll Love It
✅ Cubist-inspired facial abstraction in the spirit of Picasso
✅ Unique hand-carved limestone sculpture with authentic patina
✅ An impressive statement piece for gardens or courtyards
✅ Reflects the planar abstraction of the John Milne School
✅ Supported by clear provenance and professional curation