Frederick John Wilcoxson, Berkeley Moynihan

Wilcoxon was a Liverpool-born sculptor known for expressive portrait busts and war memorials. Trained at the Royal Academy, he aided soldiers injured in the First World War by making facial masks. A Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors, his figurative works blend artistry with empathy. Born in Malta and raised in poverty, Berkeley Moynihan rose to prominence in abdominal surgery. A charismatic speaker and revered teacher, he became Professor of Clinical Surgery at Leeds and President of the Royal College of Surgeons. The portrait bust is dated 1925. The cast hands are dated 1932 and signed ‘Rey’. This is likely to be the sculptor Loris Rey, who also made the bust of Michael Sadler. It is the only work in the collection to integrate both the head and the hands of the sitter.