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Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975) Bust of Hector Berlioz 49cm (18in) high including base; 39cm (15 3/8in) high excluding base (Conceived circa 1969) image 1

Lot 228^AR,TP

Michael Ayrton
(British, 1921-1975)
Bust of Hector Berlioz 49cm (18in) high including base; 39cm (15 3/8in) high excluding base

15 April 2025, 10:00 BST

London, New Bond Street

Sold for £8,960 inc. premium

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Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975)

Bust of Hector Berlioz
bronze with a black patina
49cm (18in) high including base; 39cm (15 3/8in) high excluding base
Conceived circa 1969

Footnotes

Provenance
With Goldmark Gallery, London, where acquired by the present owner, 7 July 1993

Exhibited
London, Hamet Gallery, A Debt to Hector Berlioz, 18 November-20 December 1969

Ayrton's connection with Berlioz began very early in his life. At 14 he became friends with musicologist and horticultural scholar Richard Gorer, who introduced him to classical music in general, and Berlioz in particular; a few years later in Provence his studio at Les Baux brought him into contact with Diaghilev's conductor, Pierre Monteux, who ran a music school in the town, and was rehearsing a production of Berlioz at the time. Friendship with Cecil Gray and Constant Lambert, both Berlioz admirers, fostered his own knowledge and enjoyment of his music (always played at full volume), until, in his own words, "Berlioz's music is not something I enjoy at leisure; it is part of my working life". In 1969, as the centenary of the composer's death drew near Ayrton was approached by David Attenborough, at that time Director of Programmes for the BBC, whom he had first met at a performance of Berlioz at the Royal Festival Hall. Attenborough asked him to create something to celebrate the composer; the result was a 75 minute programme more than half of which was devoted to the music itself. This was illustrated with paintings, drawings and sculpture that Ayrton had made: imagined portraits of Berlioz at various stages of his life: images of a man singularly obsessed by a man singularly obsessed with that obsessed man.

This bronze, (one of a planned, but uncompleted, edition of 6) is the largest and the most striking of the Berlioz works.

We are grateful to Justine Hopkins for compiling this catalogue entry.

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