Hepworth's Winged Figure I Sells for £1.26 Million at Bonhams Modern British Art Auction

On 19 November, Bonhams held a Modern British and Irish Art auction where Dame Barbara Hepworth's bronze sculpture, Winged Figure I, fetched £1,258,400. This piece, created in 1957, was auctioned for the first time. Made from rolled bronze featuring copper-toned wings and hand-applied Isopon for added painterly depth, this cast had never been publicly available before. Ingram Reid, the Director of Modern British & Irish Art at Bonhams, emphasized the artwork's importance as the original design Hepworth later modified for her renowned John Lewis Partnership project on Oxford Street. The auction, held at Bonhams New Bond Street in London, showcased strong interest in rare British modernist works, with this sculpture leading the sale.