Sir William Hamo Thornycroft was one of the leading figures of the New Sculpture movement, and a great inspiration to many artists of his day. He was born in London in 1850, the son of sculptors Thomas and Mary Thornycroft. Encouraged by the family’s engagement with the arts, he entered the Royal Academy at the age of 19, while working in his father’s workshop.
In 1871, at his aunt’s death, the artist was left with a £50 legacy. With the money, he travelled to France and Italy with his sisters. Their tour lasted over seven weeks; they visited Paris, Venice, Florence and Rome, where the ruins of the Classical past were mingled with the work of the great sculptors of the Italian Renaissance.
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