An African Fruit Seller
Entry ID
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36 (11/01/2022)
Formal title of the work
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An African Fruit Seller
Description of the sculpture
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A sculpture carved from Portland stone of a woman selling fruit. The woman is depicted half-kneeling, nude except for a cloth draped across her lap and with a basket of fruit on the ground beside her knee.
URLs where this is recorded/available
Type of object
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Statue: Full-length figure (single)
Base
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Base present - appears to be the original base
Dimensions
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Height: 99 cm
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Width: 69 cm
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Depth: 67 cm
Materials
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Portland stone
Specific techniques used
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Carving
Overall colour
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Monochrome – white
Inscriptions
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On back of socle: 'ALAN DVRST / 1928'
Does the Black person have a specific identity?
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Anonymous: generic/idealised type
Role within sculpture
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Main protagonist
Gender
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Female
Age
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Adult
Status
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Free citizen
Clothing
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Partially clothed
Evidence of enslavement
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None
Evidence of 'exotic' status
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Other
Action or activity
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Working
Emotional state
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Calm
Focus of gaze of Black person
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Unfocussed/blank eyeballs
Sculptural context
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Indeterminate
Sculptor
Place of production
Period of production
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Twentieth century (1900-1999)
Date of Production
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1928
Date inferred from
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Recorded in inscription
Price history
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1932: purchased from the artist by the City of Bradford Corporation Art Gallery, Cartwright Hall for £50 (£3,713.58 in 2021)
Original purpose
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Decorative
Original display setting
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Unknown
Current owner
Current / most recently known location
Accession number
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1932-023
Exhibition ID number
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316
Notes
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On the Art UK website, it states that this sculpture was made in 1932, but this appears to be in error and to be the date of acquisition. The sculpture is signed and dated 1928.
The sculpture was produced in 1928. It was submitted to the 1932 Spring Exhibition at the City of Bradford Corporation Art Gallery, Cartwright Hall by the artist. It was entry number 316 and priced at £210. The sculpture was purchased for the permanent collection of Cartwright Hall at the end of the Exhibition for £50 and accessioned in 1932.
Current rights holder
License terms for reuse
http://13.41.147.145/s/database/item/145, . (no date) ‘An African Fruit Seller’, Black People in European Sculpture, accessed May 5, 2025, http://13.41.147.145/s/database/item/360
