Clay
A natural material made by the decomposition of different types of rock, its availability and malleability make it a popular material for sculpting. When mixed with water it becomes a paste that can be shaped and when fired it becomes hard and durable. The mixture of components varies greatly, so clays vary in their colour and texture, as well as in workability and how they react to firing. In portrait sculpture clay is more often used as part of the sculptural process for modelling. Many bronzes start as clay models before they are fired.
Joseph Collet
by Amoy Chinqua
1716
NPG 4005
Emanuel Shinwell, Baron Shinwell of Easington
by Geoffrey Davien
NPG D2729
Harold Wilson
by Geoffrey Davien
NPG D2731
Alec Douglas-Home
by Geoffrey Davien
NPG D2732
Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton
by Geoffrey Davien
NPG D2735
Frederick James Marquis, 1st Earl of Woolton
by Geoffrey Davien
NPG D2737