The Fitzwilliam Museum - University of Cambridge

62 William Turnbull
Major Acquisitions
(b. 1922)
Large Blade Venus
1990
Bronze, cast number 3 from an
edition of 5 plus 1 artist’s cast
H. 317 x 99 x 68 cm
Presented by The Art Fund in
honour of Sir Nicholas Goodison,
Chairman from 1986-2002
M. 6-2006
Since his first solo exhibition at the
Hanover Gallery, London in 1952,
William Turnbull has gained international
acclaim as both a painter and a sculptor.
Working in a wide variety of media and
techniques, he has evolved a consistent
style which conveys the essence of
objects by metamorphosing them into
arrestingly simple forms. His interest in
the cultures of South-East Asia, Cycladic
Greece and West Africa is reflected in
the totemic nature of some of his works,
which have a powerful presence
reminiscent of ancient idols.
Large Blade Venus, the largest of
Turnbull’s Blade Venus series, is a striking
expression of these traits, and like much
of his sculpture, its interpretation
depends to some extent on its physical
context, and the viewer’s imagination.
Its jutting profile and the undulating
lines down the narrow side, convey the
womanliness of a goddess, yet it might
equally be interpreted as a large,
rugged-surfaced leaf, or a Chinese knife
dynamically thrust point downwards into
a chopping block. It is currently situated
in the Courtyard opposite John Gibson’s
idealized, and highly finished marble
Venus Verticordia made between 1833
and 1838, to provide a stimulating topic
for discussion by visitors.