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Barbara Hepworth sculpture given to doctor may fetch £80,000 at auction

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Created in 1967, the 13-inch artwork is an editioned miniature of the nearly six-meter-tall *Winged Figure* installed at the John Lewis Oxford Street department store. Barbara Hepworth gifted the signed piece to Dr. Roger Slack, with whom she shared a personal friendship, sculpture materials, and art history discussions. Lay's Auctioneers will present the rare sculpture during its Cornish Art sale on November 26 and 27, 2026. The full-scale London counterpart gained Grade II listed landmark status in 2016.

Key points

  • Dr. Roger Slack treated leading St Ives artists including Hepworth, Peter Lanyon, Patrick…: Dr. Roger Slack treated leading St Ives artists including Hepworth, Peter Lanyon, Patrick Heron, and Terry Frost.
  • Hepworth formed a close personal friendship with Slack, encouraging his research and shar…: Hepworth formed a close personal friendship with Slack, encouraging his research and sharing marble for his sculpture interests.
  • The full-scale public counterpart on Oxford Street remains a recognized London landmark t…: The full-scale public counterpart on Oxford Street remains a recognized London landmark that achieved Grade II listed status in 2016.

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Few people consider doctors to be an imitation of God. Not sure about God, but doctors certainly hold a special place of trust and respect in people's hearts. And sometimes, the relationship between a doctor and a patient extends far beyond the consulting room. Something similar happened between British sculptor Barbara Hepworth and her doctor, Roger Slack. Their friendship eventually became so meaningful that Hepworth gifted him a miniature sculpture of one of her most celebrated works. Nearly six decades later, that very sculpture has resurfaced and could fetch as much as £80,000 at an auction in Cornwall.

The 13-inch (33 cm) aluminium-and-string sculpture is a miniature version of Hepworth's famous

Winged Figure, which stands on the exterior of the John Lewis department store on Oxford Street, London. The artwork, signed and dated 1967 and numbered 5/9, was gifted to Dr Slack as a personal token of appreciation. According to the original auction listing published by Lay's Auctioneers, the sculpture will be offered as part of its Cornish Art sale on November 26 and 27, 2026.

A friendship that went…

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