HEAD OF WILLIAM JEFFREY WITH DEVICES
painted polyester resin, fibreglass and fillers
28 x 15.3 x 23cm; 11 x 6 x 9in

Property of a Lady, Chelsea

Executed in 1972.

Provenance
Wolpe Gallery Ltd, Cape Town
Purchased from the above by the husband of the present owner in May 1986

Executed in 1972, the present work is one of a group of sculptures of William Jeffery's head that Davies cast from life that year. Another version of Jeffery's head by Davies was acquired by the Tate Gallery in 1972 (Collection of Tate Britain). Davies notes that his life casts were not intended as portraits of the sitter as they reveal little about their character, hence his addition of 'devices' to draw out and give expression to broader human qualities. In the Tate's head he added chicken wire to the cast. In the present example he adds two dowells affixed with wire around the ears, sitting horizontally above the eyes, and on the tip of the nose. In a hand written note from March 1988 Davies noted of the present work that 'I have cleaned and touched up the paint, renewed the wire in this Head of William Jeffrey 1972... ...probably the best way to keep its appearance sharp and clean is a perspex case'. Davies also includes a sketch of how the perspex case should look, which is how the work is currently displayed. (letter written 'c/o Marlborough Fine Art', dated 21 March 1988).