The sculpture of C.F.A. Voysey

This paper is the first comprehensive survey of the Arts & Crafts architect C F A Voysey's activities as a sculptor of objects, free-standing sculpture, and architectural decorations. Some architects have used sculpture to enliven their buildings since classical times however, by the late nineteenth century, the practice had largely fallen from fashion and where it did take place it invariably involved architects commissioning pieces from professional sculptors or stonemasons. As with so much of his other design work, Voysey refused to follow the norms of the day and stands as one of only a handful of architects throughout history who have also turned their hands to sculpture. As only a few examples of Voysey’s sculpture have been referenced by contemporary scholars, this paper was written to act as a catalogue raisonné of the architect’s activities in this oeuvre with virtually every example of his sculpture illustrated, many for the first time. As an active and early member of the Art Workers’ Guild, Voysey’s relationship with contemporary sculptors is also explored, as are his thoughts on the contributions sculptural elements could make to contemporary architecture. Latterly, Voysey exploited the fact that his sculptures had been exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts, flagging for posterity his ‘establishment’ validated credentials as a sculptor, something that sets him apart from his contemporaries and further emphasises the ‘individuality’ that was the watchword of his life.