Lot Essay
Maria, concieved circa 1995, was the heroine of Fritz Lang's cult classic 'Metropolis' (1927). The film was one of Paolozzi's favourites and Maria became the subject of renewed interest for his sculpture in both plaster and bronze at the time of 'Spellbound' (1996), the Hayward Gallery exhibition about relationships between art and cinema.
Study for Self-Portrait, conceived circa 1987, appears to be a study for Paolozzi's first self-portrait 'The Artist as Hephaestus' which was commissioned in 1987 by the London and Paris Property Group for the exterior of their new building at 34-36 High Holborn, London.
Study for Self-Portrait, conceived circa 1987, appears to be a study for Paolozzi's first self-portrait 'The Artist as Hephaestus' which was commissioned in 1987 by the London and Paris Property Group for the exterior of their new building at 34-36 High Holborn, London.