Age, Biography and Wiki

Alan Thornhill was born on 1921 in Mali, is a British artist & sculptor (1921–2020). Discover Alan Thornhill's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 99 years old?

Popular As N/A
Occupation N/A
Age 99 years old
Zodiac Sign
Born 1921, 1921
Birthday 1921
Birthplace N/A
Date of death 2020
Died Place N/A
Nationality Mali

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 1921. He is a member of famous artist with the age 99 years old group.

Alan Thornhill Height, Weight & Measurements

At 99 years old, Alan Thornhill height not available right now. We will update Alan Thornhill's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
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Dating & Relationship status

He is currently single. He is not dating anyone. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. According to our Database, He has no children.

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Alan Thornhill Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Alan Thornhill worth at the age of 99 years old? Alan Thornhill’s income source is mostly from being a successful artist. He is from Mali. We have estimated Alan Thornhill's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
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Source of Income artist

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Timeline

1939

Born in London, he grew up in Fittleworth, West Sussex, attended Radley College, and then in 1939 went to New College to read Modern History.

1944

In 1944 he returned to Oxford, having been exempted from military service as a conscientious objector.

He obtained his degree, and spent a year in Italy based in Florence, teaching English at Pisa University.

He then stayed six months in Oslo undergoing Reichian therapy, from which came the decision to try working with his hands.

1949

In 1949 he was accepted for the pottery course at Camberwekk under Dick Kendall and Nora Braden, followed by a year at Farnham under Henry Hammond and Paul Barron, before moving in 1951 to Eastcombe, Gloucestershire, where Hawkley Pottery was set up.

1958

In 1958, frustrated by the repetition involved in making and selling pots, he started to gravitate towards claywork and sculpture through friendship with established sculptors Lynn Chadwick and Jack Greaves.

1959

In 1959 he moved to London, having found a property in Putney which included a semi-derelict outbuilding that became his studio, which still exists.

Latterly he was largely based near Stroud, Gloucestershire.

1970

He first taught claywork at Kingston, Barking Regional College, Rush Green College of Further Education and then sculpture at Morley College, London between 1970 and 1987, and at the former Frink School of Sculpture where he was a founder trustee and with a later teaching role (1995–2001).

He was married to the painter Sheila Denning, with whom he set up Hawkley Pottery; the marriage ended in divorce.

Devising his own way of working which dispensed with the traditional sculptor's armature, he began working with random clay elements, constructed of coarse clay with uniform thickness, so that sculpture could develop, be turned and incorporate subconscious impulses in building the work.

The assemblage of clay elements was dried and slowly kiln fired, if necessary being cut up to accommodate to the size of kiln and then rejoined after firing.

The simple impetus was the desire to produce another sculpture, yet the later resulting large works – part figurative, part abstract, came to echo pre-occupations for him at that time.

The process of improvisation and avoiding pre-conceived ideas (and in his portraiture, avoiding notions of normality through rigorous observation) continues to be taught through some of his own former pupils.

His writings include notes about portraiture and the nature of the creative process.

His portraiture in public collections includes:

Other eminent figures who have sat for Thornhill include Enoch Powell, Christabel Bielenberg, Frank Cousins, Richard Rodney Bennett, Michael Cardew, Sir Colin Davis, Dennis Silk and Basil Bunting.

Public works formerly included Bond, purchased by the permanent collection of the Jerwood Foundation at Jerwood Sculpture, Ragley Hall before its closure.

1989

Load has been on Putney Embankment since 1989.

'Summoner' and 'Punch and Judy', two large bronze sculptures, are on permanent display in the Walled Garden of the Museum in the Park, Stroud, Gloucestershire.

In addition, the Museum has other large bronze sculptures in their collection (but not always on display), these are 'Exit', 'Animaversion' and 'Together'.

The Museum also holds some charcoal drawings and small terracotta works, such as 'Drowning Woman with Rescuer'.

2007

The bronze sculpture, Walking and Talking and many of the files and papers relating to Thornhill's portraits were acquired in 2007 by the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds, UK.

2008

Nine large works now form the Putney Sculpture Trail along the River Thames at Putney in the Borough of Wandsworth, formally opened in September 2008.

A 40-minute documentary, produced by his daughter Anna Thornhill, Spirit in Mass: Journey into Sculpture, was released in 2008 with an award from Screen South and UK Film Council.

This was launched in Oxford and subsequently appeared at the Appledore Visual Arts Festival 2008 and Chichester International Film Festival.

Artist and writer Clare Carswell is interviewed in the film.

2020

Alan Thornhill (1921 – March 4, 2020 ) was a British artist and sculptor whose long association with clay developed from pottery into sculpture.

His output includes pottery, small and large scale sculptures, portrait heads, paintings and drawings.

His evolved methods of working enabled the dispensing of the sculptural armature to allow improvisation, whilst his portraiture challenges notions of normality through rigorous observation.