Sold for: $40,250

PROVENANCE
Collection of DuPont Canada, Ontario

LITERATURE
Inge Lindemann, editor, William Mac (William McElcheran): The Businessman, 1991, pages 26 - 28 and 31

William McElcheran studied painting before sculpture, but gravitated to painters who dealt with sculptural forms. When he crossed into the realm of sculpture, European artists such as Giacomo Manzù, Jacques Lipchitz, Wilhelm Lehmbruck, Ernst Barlach and Gerhard Marcks attracted him. McElcheran was also interested in old master artists such as Donatello, Michelangelo and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and he loved classicism, which dealt with the heroic, the larger-than-life figure.

Early in his career, McElcheran was involved with Catholicism and made religious sculptures, which often depicted an archetype of the Everyman, through which he related the Passion of Christ to contemporary life. As McElcheran moved away from his religious themes, the Everyman evolved into the businessman image, and he declared, “My businessman replaces the classical hero.” Instead of depicting a classical hero who was larger than life, McElcheran was now searching to “find my image for the anti-ideal, the anti-hero. So the whole idea of my businessman is that he is exactly that sort of Everyman, the ubiquitous non-hero.” This is a classic large-scale McElcheran businessman, an iconic figure that McElcheran both empathizes with and gently satirizes.

The bronze base measures 20 1/2 x 23 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars