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Ivor Roberts-Jones
(1916 - 1966)
Ivor Roberts-Jones was born 2nd November 1913 in Oswestry, Shropshire on the Welsh border. He studied at Goldsmiths College School of Art under Clive Gardiner (1932-4) and subsequently at the Royal Academy schools (1934-38).
During the war, Roberts-Jones served in the Royal Artillery, seeing action in the Burma Campaign and on his return to civilian life joined Goldsmiths teaching sculpture in 1946.
He had a studio in Holland Park, which he retained throughout his life, and had exhibited two works at the Royal Academy during the war years. He exhibited again regularly from 1956 and the following year held his first one-man exhibition at the Beaux-Arts Gallery.
In 1961 Roberts-Jones received an important and influential commission from Lord Beaverbrook for a bust of Somerset Maugham, and following the death of Augustus John in October, he was commissioned to produce a memorial to John in his hometown of Fordingbridge, Hampshire. Now head of sculpture at Goldsmiths, further commissions followed portraits of Kyffin Williams and Yehudi Menuhin, exhibited at the RA in 1965 and 1968 respectively. In 1970 came the commission to produce what was undoubtedly his most important work from the Royal Fine Arts Commission that of Winston Churchill for Parliament Square, installed in 1975.
He was elected a Royal Academician in 1973, and in 1975 was awarded the CBE. In 1977, he received a further commission for a Churchill sculpture from New Orleans.
He lived in London and Suffolk and died 9th December 1996.
During the war, Roberts-Jones served in the Royal Artillery, seeing action in the Burma Campaign and on his return to civilian life joined Goldsmiths teaching sculpture in 1946.
He had a studio in Holland Park, which he retained throughout his life, and had exhibited two works at the Royal Academy during the war years. He exhibited again regularly from 1956 and the following year held his first one-man exhibition at the Beaux-Arts Gallery.
In 1961 Roberts-Jones received an important and influential commission from Lord Beaverbrook for a bust of Somerset Maugham, and following the death of Augustus John in October, he was commissioned to produce a memorial to John in his hometown of Fordingbridge, Hampshire. Now head of sculpture at Goldsmiths, further commissions followed portraits of Kyffin Williams and Yehudi Menuhin, exhibited at the RA in 1965 and 1968 respectively. In 1970 came the commission to produce what was undoubtedly his most important work from the Royal Fine Arts Commission that of Winston Churchill for Parliament Square, installed in 1975.
He was elected a Royal Academician in 1973, and in 1975 was awarded the CBE. In 1977, he received a further commission for a Churchill sculpture from New Orleans.
He lived in London and Suffolk and died 9th December 1996.