Museum launches fundraising appeal to conserve early Elisabeth Frink sculpture

A museum has launched a fundraising campaign to conserve an early sculpture by Dame Elisabeth Frink.

The piece, titled Horse and Rider, was created in 1950 when Frink was just 20 years old, and is held in the collection of Dorset Museum & Art Gallery in Dorchester.

The museum is seeking public support to restore the plaster sculpture, which explores the human-equine relationship—a theme that would recur throughout Frink’s influential career.

Horse and Rider by Dame Elizabeth Frink. (Image: Dorset Museum & Art Gallery)

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Claire Dixon, director of Dorset Museum & Art Gallery, said: “We are proud to care for such an important early work.

“With public support, we can preserve Horse and Rider for future generations and display it alongside other works by Frink, deepening understanding of her remarkable artistic journey.”

Frink’s work is presently featured in the museum’s exhibition, People Watching: Over a Hundred Years of British Portraiture, which is presented in partnership with The Ingram Collection.

The exhibition brings together around 50 works in sculpture, painting, drawing and photography, dating from 1915 to the present day.

The museum plans to carry out essential conservation work to ensure the sculpture can be safely displayed to the public.

This will include repairing the rider’s right arm, consolidating exposed plaster surfaces, and carefully cleaning the artwork to reveal its original detail and expression.

Once restored, Horse and Rider will be displayed alongside other works by Dame Elisabeth Frink currently on view at the museum and art gallery.

The display will give visitors a rare opportunity to see this early sculpture in context with her later pieces, offering insight into the development of her artistic practice.

Ms Dixon said: “Every contribution brings the Museum closer to conserving this exceptional sculpture and sharing it with audiences for generations to come.”

Horse and Rider has become increasingly vulnerable to damage over time.

The museum hopes the appeal will raise the necessary funds to carry out the conservation project and help protect a formative work by one of the 20th century’s most influential British sculptors.

Members of the public, art supporters and the local community are encouraged to donate to the campaign.

The Horse and Rider sculpture captures the emotional intensity and technical skill that would come to define her career.

By preserving and displaying this piece, Dorset Museum & Art Gallery aims to deepen public understanding of her early influences and lasting legacy.

The fundraising appeal is part of the museum’s ongoing commitment to care for its significant collections, ensuring important works can be enjoyed by future generations.

Dorset Museum & Art Gallery regularly collaborates with national and regional collections to share expertise, develop exhibitions and increase public engagement with art and heritage.

People Watching: Over a Hundred Years of British Portraiture continues at the museum, offering visitors the chance to explore a century of portrait art through a diverse range of media and styles.

The display highlights connections between artists and subjects, encouraging visitors to reflect on themes of identity, presence, and observation.

With the support of the community, Dorset Museum & Art Gallery hopes to conserve and share one of Frink’s earliest and most evocative works as part of this broader exploration of British art.

To support the appeal or for more information, visit Dorset Museum’s website.