Research & Development - available to purchase - £12,000
‘Research & Development’ - a completely unique life-size sculpture made of electroformed copper - created for the ‘Cunégonde Collection’ of sensual garden nudes originally shown as a complete collection in Thomas Hoblyn’s ‘Foreign & Colonial’ show garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2010.
This gorgeous, one-of-a-kind work of art has been displayed in the gardens of stately homes and castles but can be easily wall-mounted to make an attention-grabbing focus piece in an interior space.
The sculpture was one of a series of nine copper sculptures by Masters & Munn, illustrating the story of ‘Candide’ by Voltaire, who becomes obsessed with the lady Cunégonde.
For much of his story, she is tantalisingly out of reach; and rather than being a three-dimensional character fleshed out in her own right, the reader experiences fragmented flashes of her through the perspective of Candide’s unrequited desire. For this reason, the sculptures themselves never depict a fully formed woman and, in some cases, such as this one, are formed from fragmented sections.
‘Research & Development’ tricks the eye into appearing as a cohesive sculpture, but is formed from two parts, which is why the right leg of the figure can be moved and pinned in different positions according to the owner’s preference, (the videos above show two such options).
The multiple mounting points also allow the piece to be positioned in either a horizontal or vertical position, offering up a range of dynamic posing options depending on the space available for her.
The sculpture and the title of the piece shows the young Cunégonde at point of sexual awakening, discovering her womanhood through self-exploration.
The earliest iteration of the sculpture design included a second wrist and hand - tantalisingly reaching down her lower belly, but this was thought too risqué to display at RHS Chelsea Flower Show where she and the entire Cunégonde Collection were to be shown to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. So the decision was taken to remove her ‘exploratory’ hand and to tell the story with the incredibly sensual pose itself, writhing in ecstasy, completely unaware of the gaze of Voltaire’s protagonist, Candide, watching on her in this very private moment of self-discovery.
The sculpture is unique, with the original moulds having been destroyed, leaving only this version in electroformed, nanocrystalline copper, formed over a marine-grade stainless steel and resin armature. The sculpture’s exact dimensions can vary slightly according to the chosen positioning of her right leg, but are approximately X by X by X cm. She is available for instant purchase for £12000 including delivery and installation in London or the Home Counties of England.
Please contact us with your address to discuss delivery/installation costs for further afield and we would be delighted to help you.