Tiny model of Mahatma Gandhi statue up for auction
The miniature model is the earliest complete vision of the iconic sculpture in Tavistock Square
A bronze model of the Mahatma Gandhi statue, which stands prominently in a central London square, is poised to go under the hammer and could command thousands at auction.
This diminutive piece, measuring just 27cm (10.6in) tall, represents the earliest complete vision of the iconic sculpture that has graced Tavistock Square in Camden since 1968.
Auctioneers Woolley and Wallis have listed the model with an estimated price of £6,000 to £8,000, though experts suggest it could achieve a higher sum.
Both the full-size statue and its preliminary models were the work of Polish sculptor Fredda Brilliant, whose "growing reputation" was highlighted by Woolley and Wallis specialist Victor Fauvelle.
A previous sale in 2019 saw Brilliant's second model of the leader of the Indian nationalist movement against British rule fetch £65,000 from a private collector.
Mr Fauvelle said: “Given Fredda’s growing reputation and the fierce bidding we’ve seen for her Gandhi works in the past, the emergence of this first maquette from a private London collection is significant.
“It offers collectors an exceptional chance to secure the piece that set one of Fredda’s most internationally recognised monuments and sculpture in motion.”
In September, the statue in Tavistock Square, Bloomsbury, was defaced with the word “terrorists” among the black writing spray-painted on the monument.
In a statement shared on social media, Indian High Commission said it was “deeply saddened” by the “shameful act of vandalism”.
A spokesperson shared: “This is not just vandalism, but a violent attack on the idea of nonviolence, three days before the international day of nonviolence, and on the legacy of the Mahatma.
“@HCI_London has taken this up strongly with local authorities for immediate action, and our team is already on site, coordinating with authorities to restore the statue to its original dignity.”
The model will be offered at Woolley and Wallis’s modern British and 20th century art sale on Thursday.