Eric Gill's (1882-1940) sculpture represented a new beginning for sculpture in Britain, because he utilised his skills as a letter-cutter to revive the art of making sculpture by direct carving. When Gill made his first sculpture in 1909, most sculpture was modelled, then cast by a foundry or carved by stone masons from the artist's model. Gill's carving technique directly influenced the work of Jacob Epstein (who came to his studio at Ditchling to learn about carving from Gill during 1910-11), and indirectly Henri Gaudier-Breska, Frank Dobson, Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore. In 1911 he successfully exhibited his sculptures in London and by 1914 had been chosen for a prestigious commission: the Stations of the Cross at the Roman Catholic Westminster Cathedral. This commission reflected Gill's conversion in 1913 to Roman Catholicism. As well as bringing new commissions his new faith became central to his whole philosophy of work. Gill was strongly influenced by Indian temple sculptures, which often showed couples in the act of copulation. Gill's sculpture, like that found on Indian temples, had a spiritual content. He wrote that 'All creative acts have God for their author. The human act of begetting is a type of divine creative power'. His mentor in Indian art was the Anglo Indian philosopher Ananda Coomaraswamy.
Eric Gill, Ecstacy, 1911
EricGill, 4th station of the Cross, Bradford, 1921-4
Eric Gill, The foster father, 1923
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