Work of celebrated sculptor goes on public display at the University of Reading
17 April 2018
The work of celebrated sculptor and University of Reading graduate Eric Stanford is to go on display to the public. Two works from the University Art Collection, Torso of Protesilaus and Head of Helen of Troy, are being installed in the Edith Morley building, while a third, Memnon, is also being welcomed on loan from a private collection.
A full-day workshop has been planned for the 17th of April to mark the installation, which will be followed by an evening launch event at the Edith Morley building to officially welcome the sculptures to the university.
Professor Amy Smith, Curator of the Ure Museum at the University of Reading, said:
“Through the display and our one-day workshop we hope to bring attention to one of Reading’s greatest artists, whose works beautifully combine 20th-century modernism, especially cubism, with a strong interest in the past—whether Celtic, e.g. Devizes’ Millennium Cross, or Classics, as evoked in these smaller statues.
“It is also a brilliant opportunity to bring together academics, artists and many other enthusiasts to honour Eric, who is a lovely human being who has done so much for Reading.”
The Classics in 20th-Century British Sculpture workshop will be held at the Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology, and it is hoped that Stanford, who is now 85, and his wife Helen, also an artist, will join in with some of the day’s activities via video link. Both events are free of charge, but booking in advance is required for those who wish to attend the workshop.
Eric Stanford studied Fine Art at the University between 1953 and 1955, a period in which he also worked as an assistant to prolific war artist Eric Kennington. He went on to work as a lecturer at Berkshire College of Art between 1961 and 1967 and then was Keeper of Art at Reading Museum and Art Gallery. Reading’s Spanish Civil War Memorial, recently reinstalled in the Forbury Gardens, is among Stanford’s many public commissions. He is a member of the Bath Society of Artists, an Associate of the Royal Society of British Sculptors, and an Honorary Life Member of the Reading Guild of Artists. His later work was influenced by Greek mythology.
If you wish to attend the workshop, please visit https://www.store.reading.ac.uk/conferences-and-events/faculty-of-arts-humanities-social-science/dept-of-classics/the-classics-in-20th-century-british-sculpture to pre-book your tickets. A full programme is available on the Ure Museum’s website. If you are interested in taking part in the evening event, please contact the Ure Museum on ure@reading.ac.uk or 0118 378 6087.