TENNANT (STEPHEN, 1906-1987, 'Bright Young Person', artist, friend of Siegfried Sassoon) IMPORTANT LARGE BRONZE BUST OF TENNANT BY MAURICE LAMBERT, head and shoulders depicting Tennant's etiolated features rising from the exaggerated chinchilla collar of his leather jacket, signed with initials and dated [19]28, composition base, overall height 33¼ inches

'Am I a legend? I suppose I am. How exciting!'

Tennant sat for Lambert in May, June or July 1928. He was delighted with the bust: 'It is very startling...the fur collar of the coat looks like a huge dead snake, the face has a null, poisonous beauty that I like.' (P. Hoare, Serious Pleasures: the Life of Stephen Tennant, 1990). The jacket was a short black leather one that Tennant had had copied from his brother David's pilot's jacket.

Maurice Lambert (1901-1964), brother of the musician Constant Lambert, a friend of Stephen Tennant, has works in the Tate Gallery, The Royal Ballet School and Manchester City Art Gallery. He was Master of the Royal Academy Sculpture School.

Purchased at the Tennant Sale at Wilsford in 1987.

£5,500