Born in Leeds in 1928, Ralph Brown studied at Leeds College of Art (1948-1951), Hammersmith School of Art (1951-1952) and the Royal College of Art, London (1952-1956), where he was tutored by, among others, Frank Dobson and John Skeaping. Whilst a student, Brown won a number of scholarships, including a trip to Paris, where he encountered the work of artists including Auguste Rodin and Germaine Richier. In 1957, he was awarded the Bois Scholarship to Italy, where he studied Eutruscan art and became inspired by the work of contemporary Italian sculptors, Giacomo Manzú and Marino Marini, who had a lasting influence on his work. Brown also spent time in Cannes, making mosaics for Pablo Picasso.
Sir Henry Moore was one of Brown’s earliest champions, recognising his talent early on and collecting his work. Brown rose to prominence in the late 1950s alongside a group of British sculptors, including Kenneth Armitage and William Turnbull and Eduardo Paolozzi, whose work was similarly rooted in the human figure.
In a prolific career spanning more than 60 years, Brown received enormous acclaim both in Britain and around the world. He completed many public commissions; notably Meat Porters (1959-1960) for Harlow New Town, and was made a Royal Academician in 1972. His work has been acquired by, amongst others, the Tate Gallery, London, and the Arts Council of Great Britain. Brown died in Gloucestershire in 2013.
