Lot 29

Work in good condition and appears to be structurally sound. Colours and patina appear fresh and true to original form, no evidence of corrosion or breakages (or repairs) detected.


The opinions expressed in the condition reports are a guide only and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Prospective buyers are encouraged to seek further information or request additional images during our pre-sale period where Leonard Joel staff are available for advice. Please note condition reports can be amended during the pre-sale period, so we strongly suggest any interested bidders check the published condition report available on the website before the auction commences. Leonard Joel makes no guarantee of the originality of mechanical or applied components. Absence of reference to such modifications does not imply that a lot is free from modifications.

Acquired directly through Meridian Foundry, Melbourne 2003
The Collection of Mr. Hyman Sharp

Paintings, Sculpture, and Two New Suites of Etchings, Australian Galleries, Melbourne, 30 June - 26 July 1997 (another example)

Franz, P., Arthur Boyd, Thames and Hudson, London 1967, p. 253 (original terracotta casting)

Growing up between the wars on the outskirts of Melbourne, Arthur Boyd was surrounded by the art of his parents and grandparents at their homestead Open Country. Murrumbeena was the centre of an important artistic community for which in the decades to come witnessed the rise of some of the most important Australian artistic figures of the 20th century.

Establishing a pottery studio at the property, Merric, Arthur's father has been widely credited for pioneering the field of ceramic art in Australia. In 1944, Arthur Boyd and John Perceval collaborated; setting up Arthur Merric Boyd Pottery (AMB), a shopfront located a short walk away from the home. While the immediate aim was to manufacture utilitarian ware to supply post-war demand, Boyd and Perceval placed heavy emphasis on artistic design creating product that the Australian market had no previous exposure to. Each individual piece was liberally adorned with free-flowing impressionistic motifs featuring native birds, angels, lovers and nature, all hand painted and vibrantly coloured.

While making an impact locally, this modern, post-war imagery soon caught the attention of major galleries. In 1954 Boyd exhibited 16 pieces at the Peter Bray Gallery in Melbourne featuring tiles, ceramic paintings and a few sculptures. With biblical themes prominent, Boyd's subjects were mainly characters from the New Testament, while others were simple depictions of everyday domestic subjects. The original School Boy Riding a Goat was a glazed terracotta artwork from this 1954 exhibition. The school boy stands as the dominant subject, grasping the goat with both hands. The two figures morph into one, creating a unified subject with pronounced lines and flowing form connecting them. The definition between the rotating subjects becomes just as varied as it is unified, reminiscent of the Cubist method that Boyd was known to experiment with briefly during this period.

While Boyd mastered in pottery, painting, printmaking and sculpture, he consistently worked with themes of love, loss, mythology and religion across all his mediums. Honing his broad technical skills and superior artistic oeuvre saw him become one of the most technically brilliant artists of the post-war period in Australia.

This work, School Boy Riding a Goat 1952-1954, is a bronze sculpture cast from the original terracotta artwork by Meridian Sculpture Foundry in Melbourne, produced in conjunction with Australian Galleries for Arthur Boyd in 1996. From the edition of nine, this work is an Artist's Proof and is an example of the universality and timelessness of Boyd's vision.

Lucy Foster | Fine Art Specialist

© Arthur Boyd/Copyright Agency 2022