About this lot
Description
§ Michael Ayrton (British, 1921–1975), Siren, 1963, bronze, etched no. 0/9 to underside, unsigned 22.50cm (9in)
Provenance: Acquired by the vendor directly from the artist's estate Literature: Michael Ayrton, Drawings and Sculpture, Michael Ayrton, Cory, Adams and Mackay, London, 1962, (ill. b&w pl.158) Michael Ayrton: An Illustrated Commentary, Peter Cannon-Brookes, City Museums and Art Gallery, Birmingham, 1978 (ill. b&w pl.180) Other Notes: An eclectic artist and writer, Michael Ayrton established his reputation as a distinguished painter, printmaker, sculptor, designer, illustrator and critic. Starting out as a painter alongside the Neo-Romantics including Paul Nash, John Piper and Graham Sutherland, Ayrton did not discover his interest in sculpture until 1948 when he visited Pisa and came across the sculptures of Giovanni Pisano (c. 1250-1315). Turning to sculpture in 1953 without any previous training, Ayrton mostly relied on the advice given to him by Henry Moore and his own study of Donatello, Rodin and Degas. Ayrton's versatile production of sculptures, illustrations and poems reflect his interest in mythological themes. Trips to Cumae, Greece and Crete immersed Ayrton in the world of Ancient Greek mythology. In 1956, his first visit to the ancient site of Cumae, near Naples, had a profound effect on his art. From the early 1960s onwards, Ayrton created and wrote numerous works drawing upon the myths of the Minotaur and Daedalus and Icarus, which pervaded his art for the rest of his career. In the present work, Ayrton certainly took inspiration from his travels. According to Peter Cannon-Brookes, the figure was inspired by the Cumaen Sibyl from Ovid's 'Metamorphoses'. In the story recounted by Ovid, the Sibyl asked the god Apollo for eternal life - taking a handful of sand and asking to live for as many years as the grains of sand she held. Later, when the Sibyl rejected the god's love, Apollo tricked her and let her wither away, claiming she should have asked for eternal youth instead. Eventually, she grew thinner and more decrepit with age and after a thousand years, only her voice was left. In the present sculpture, the emaciated figure, stripped to the bone, is highly reminiscent of the fate of the Cumaen Sibyl and illustrates the capriciousness of divine intervention.
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