Sketch for 'Bird Swallowing a Fish', c. 1914

The two drawings of Bird Swallowing a Fish in the Kettle’s Yard collection appear to fulfil different functions. This pencil drawing belongs to a group of preparatory studies which capture the rapidity and desperation of the struggle and attempt to resolve the hectic motion into dynamic lines in preparation for the translation into sculptural forms. The ink study was probably completed after the sculpture. Jeremy Lewison suggested this ‘in view of the detailed observation and highly intricate hatching. Gaudier rarely made such detailed sketches prior to making sculpture. Further, the sculpture is seen sitting on a base which does not appear in any preliminary studies.’