19th Nov, 2025 11:00
European Works of Art, Objects & Silver
101
ALEXANDER CARRICK (1882-1966): THE GUNNER
a richly dark brown patinated bronze figure, probably McDonald & Creswick Ltd. foundry, Edinburgh, circa 1917, modelled as an artilleryman hefting an 8in Howizter shell, on a naturalistically muddy rectangular base, signed to terrace 'A Carrick', signed to front of base 'A Carrick / 1917', 50cm high
Provenance: Unknown; Sir George Bull (3rd Bart, 1906-1986) and Lady Bull (1907-1989); thence by family descent to the vendors.
The sculptor's personal connection to this powerful figure is unusually close. Born the son of a Musselburgh blacksmith, he trained at the Edinburgh College of Art, was apprenticed as a stonemason working in the yard of one of the prominent monumental sculptors of the period, Birnie Rhind and upon winning the Queen's Prize spent two years at the South Kensington College in London. By 1914 Carrick was regularly exhibiting at the Royal Scottish Academy and had established a reputation for his work on monuments. In 1916, however, he was conscripted, serving for the rest of World War I as Gunner A. Carrick 95309, 30th (Seige) Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, operating and maintaining the unit’s eight-inch howitzers, his unit deployed for much of the time in support of the Ypres Salient. Whilst on active service he apparently modelled ‘The Gunner’ in Belgian clay. With the assistance of his friend the Poperinge artist Leopold Beun (1881-1949), a maquette of the figure was sent home for bronze casting. A resultant bronze was exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy in 1918 (The Gunner, No.28), whilst Carrick was still serving in Belgium, and subsequently in Glasgow and Aberdeen, as well as in London at the Royal Academy in 1922 (No.1417). Alexander Carrick RSA was one of his homeland’s leading monumental sculptors of the early 20th century, executing a number of war memorials postwar and becoming head of sculpture at the Edinburgh College of Art.
There are two other known bronzes of 'The Gunner': one retained by the artist and still held by his descendants and one sold at Sotheby's, London, 20 May 1994, lot 123.
Sold for £5,500
a richly dark brown patinated bronze figure, probably McDonald & Creswick Ltd. foundry, Edinburgh, circa 1917, modelled as an artilleryman hefting an 8in Howizter shell, on a naturalistically muddy rectangular base, signed to terrace 'A Carrick', signed to front of base 'A Carrick / 1917', 50cm high
Provenance: Unknown; Sir George Bull (3rd Bart, 1906-1986) and Lady Bull (1907-1989); thence by family descent to the vendors.
The sculptor's personal connection to this powerful figure is unusually close. Born the son of a Musselburgh blacksmith, he trained at the Edinburgh College of Art, was apprenticed as a stonemason working in the yard of one of the prominent monumental sculptors of the period, Birnie Rhind and upon winning the Queen's Prize spent two years at the South Kensington College in London. By 1914 Carrick was regularly exhibiting at the Royal Scottish Academy and had established a reputation for his work on monuments. In 1916, however, he was conscripted, serving for the rest of World War I as Gunner A. Carrick 95309, 30th (Seige) Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, operating and maintaining the unit’s eight-inch howitzers, his unit deployed for much of the time in support of the Ypres Salient. Whilst on active service he apparently modelled ‘The Gunner’ in Belgian clay. With the assistance of his friend the Poperinge artist Leopold Beun (1881-1949), a maquette of the figure was sent home for bronze casting. A resultant bronze was exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy in 1918 (The Gunner, No.28), whilst Carrick was still serving in Belgium, and subsequently in Glasgow and Aberdeen, as well as in London at the Royal Academy in 1922 (No.1417). Alexander Carrick RSA was one of his homeland’s leading monumental sculptors of the early 20th century, executing a number of war memorials postwar and becoming head of sculpture at the Edinburgh College of Art.
There are two other known bronzes of 'The Gunner': one retained by the artist and still held by his descendants and one sold at Sotheby's, London, 20 May 1994, lot 123.
Auction: European Works of Art, Objects & Silver, 19th Nov, 2025
Auction Location: London, UK
The auction ‘European Works of Art, Objects and Silver’ is one of our biannual live sales offering a range of ceramics, sculpture, works of art and silver from around the world, as well as objects of vertu.
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