Ian Rank-Broadley is one of the foremost sculptors working today. His effigy of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II appears on all UK and Commonwealth coinage since 1998. He has recently completed work on one of the most important war memorials since WWII, the Armed Forces Memorial.
Ian Rank-Broadley, sculptor of the Armed Forces Memorial was most fortunate to be able to have a free hand in both the conception and execution of the sculptures. The sculptures, having started initially as relief panels, and having gone through various phases of both form and ideas, were eventually finalised in the round. Rank-Broadley envisioned a memorial was more than an illustration in Heroism.
Eventually the theme of Sacrifice emerged for the two groups of sculptures.
The first group The Stretcher Bearers draws on classical mythology for its inspiration. The death of Petroclus, whose body was carried back to camp held aloft on Achilles' shield having impersonated Achilles by borrowing his armour, became the theme. This episode is transposed to our own time, where the wounded soldier is returned on a stretcher held aloft by his comrades who represent members of the different services. In addition the mother laments her loss as the tearful child clutches her skirt. Behind the Stretcher Bearers the father of the soldier supports and comforts the mother, whose grief overwhelms her. This first group of sculptures bears witness to the sacrifice of life made by that individual.
 When it came to the inspiration for the second group of sculpture, Rank-Broadley kept thinking of what would happen after the soldier's body was returned. It seemed important that some resolution be offered to the grieving spectators. In our modern, nominally Christian society, the figure of Christ is still seen as the ultimate symbol of sacrifice. Rank-Broadley wanted to move on from the crucifixion which tormented Christ’s temporal life. As the body of the dead and naked soldier, lying on the tarpaulin, is lifted by the female soldier and Gurkha it echoes the Deposition of Christ.
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''Equus II'' Bronze
Study for large scale work
''Helios'' Bronze
Helios the Sun God climbs the vault of heaven to give light to gods and men. In the evening he sinks into the ocean and is carried around the northern border of the earth to the east again. He is the revealer of all things that are done on earth.
''Ganymede'' Bronze
Carried away by the Gods for his beauty he became the cupbearer of Zeus, and one of the immortals. In this sculpture I have tried to capture the essence of his youth. |
''Golden jubilee crown'' Issued by the Royal Mint 2002
He also sculpted the relief of the Queen that now adorns all the coins of the realm (his initials can be seen below the Queen's neck - illustrated). He is presently sculpting a large scale relief of the Queen for the new Supreme Court building in Parliament Square, London. All through his career he has produced bronze figures of great strength and character.
''The Wrestlers'' Bronze
The Wrestlers depict two heroic male figures, one black, one white, at the peak of athletic prowess pitting their strength and skill against each other. This work presents a multitude of different viewpoints and engages the spectator with the relative positions of the intertwined figures. |
 "Stretching" Bronze by Ian Rank-Broadley
Theis work was inspired by classical fragments in the British museum, and yet retains the taut muscularity of the model.
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