Benedict Read (1945-2016) was a firm believer in the power of sculpture. Ben, as his many friends knew him, was an art historian, teacher, writer and a teller of stories. In 2016 he passed away, leaving a legacy that will long resound in the field of sculpture studies.

Ben’s greatest passion was for Victorian sculpture. He would advise anyone interested in sculpture to simply look while moving through British cities to see a wealth of examples. Alongside his work on Victorian sculpture, Ben was an expert in sculpture made in Britain between the First and Second World Wars, and here we reprint his out of print Introduction to Sculpture in Britain Between the Wars – essential reading for anybody interested in British sculpture.

All Ben’s work was characterised by thorough research, generosity and a sheer delight for sculpture, and this issue of the Henry Moore Institute journal is a celebration of his immense contribution to sculpture.

With an introduction by Lisa le Feuvre (Head of Sculpture Studies, the Henry Moore Institute) and two essay texts: Learning to Look: Benedict Read as Teacher by Mark Westgarth (University of Leeds); Benedict Read and the Sculptural Life of Victorian Leeds by Rebecca Wade (Assistant Curator – Sculpture, the Henry Moore Institute)

This issue also includes a reprint of the Introduction to Sculpture in Britain Between the Wars by Benedict Read and Peyton Skipwith (Fine Art Society, 1986).