Elisabeth
Frink

Created in 1983, Seated Man achieved its record result at Christie's London in June 2014. This monumental bronze sculpture, the first in an edition of four, exemplifies Frink's mature style with its distinctive treatment of the male form - a weathered, textural surface combined with a powerful, almost primitive presence heavily influenced by her experiences in World War II. Notably, another cast from the same edition achieved £600,000 at Sotheby's in June 2016, demonstrating sustained market interest in Frink's most refined compositions.

Running Man (Front Runner) (1986) matched Frink's auction record when it sold at Christie's London in June 2019. This late-career masterpiece encapsulates Frink's enduring preoccupation with the male figure in motion, a theme she returned to throughout her career. The sculpture's dynamic pose and distinctive textural treatment of the bronze surface exemplify her unique ability to capture both physical movement and psychological tension. Viewers of the sculpture tend to be torn between seeing the figure’s strength and vulnerability - is he running towards or away from something?

Seated Man II (1986) achieved this notable result at Christie's London in July 2013. Created in the same year as Running Man (1986), this bronze represents Frink's return to the seated figure in her later career. The roughly textured surface, typical of Frink’s bronze work, adds depth and earthiness to the figure’s contemplative pose, enhancing its sense of presence and command of space. The sculpture's strong performance at auction highlighted growing market appreciation for pieces that reflect the culmination of Frink's artistic vision: her larger-than-life Riace figures, and her belief that man simultaneously embodies strength and vulnerability, power and fragility, and thought and reflection.