{"product_id":"valerie-clarebout-ra-head-of-woman-patinated-plaster-mid-20th-century","title":"Valerie Clarebout RA, head of woman, patinated plaster, mid 20th century","description":"\u003cp\u003eSize:  31 cm tall, including base.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCondition:  Good vintage condition, no significant damage, but there is general wear and minor losses to the patination. The right cheek and a small area of the hair has some green discolouration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis striking plaster head, with original bronze patination, is mounted on a wooden base which has a worn label inscribed Valerie Clarebout. We take this to be the sculptor's identity, as it is consistent with what we know of her work and the age of the piece.  Probably it was a maquette for a work in bronze and probably also a portrait.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe work of Valerie Clemence Clarebout (1908-1982) is not well documented but the information there is suggests she was an artist of huge imagination who undertook some major public works.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe was born in England and studied at the Royal Academy of Art in London. In 1934, she went to Paris where she enrolled in the Academie Julien. Three years later, she travelled to Buenos Aires and lived there until 1942 when she returned to England and became a volunteer in the Air Defence. After the war, she returned to Argentina to study painting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1949, she moved to France, and in the early 1950s, settled in America where she continued to work as a sculptor. For the Channel Gardens by the pool of Rockefeller Center in New York City, she completed a decorative figure group, Christmas Angels, installed in 1954. Each figure is eight feet in height, and made of wire. In total, Clarebout used 76 miles of material, including 18 miles of aluminium wire and brass, and thousands of miniature lights to complete the celestial display.  There is also a terrific mosaic work of hers dated 1958, in the New York City School Construction Authority collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chester's Farm Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55084960776529,"sku":null,"price":280.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1032\/4312\/0977\/files\/Clarebout_1.jpg?v=1790432144","url":"https:\/\/chestersfarmgallery.com\/products\/valerie-clarebout-ra-head-of-woman-patinated-plaster-mid-20th-century","provider":"Chester's Farm Gallery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}