Curator led tour of Dorich House: Home to Sculptor Dora Gordine

Talented, charismatic and dedicated to her art, Dora Gordine (1895-1991) was hailed in 1938 as ‘possibly the finest woman sculptor in the world’ and she remained a major presence in European sculpture until the late 1960s. Trained in Tallinn and Paris during the 1920s Gordine achieved critical acclaim in 1926 with the bronze Head of a Chinese Philosopher exhibited at the Salon des Tuileries in Paris (now on display at Dorich House). She was honoured with impressive public commissions and exhibited widely although she has fallen into obscurity today.

We will be guided through Dorich House —  a stunning Modernist villa which she designed  — which holds the largest single collection of Gordine’s bronze and plaster sculptures, as well as many of her paintings and drawings. The collection spans from her early years in Paris in the 1920s to her last works made in the studios of Dorich House in the 1960s and 70s.  The two studios, gallery and top floor apartment were all designed by Gordine and her husband, Richard Hare, in 1935/6. Her stylish and artistic interiors have been used as sets for films, videos and TV programmes. The furniture and fittings are in keeping with the interior design style favoured by the couple – neutral colours, ‘Chinese’ and multifunctional geometric furniture and wood floors. The views from the roof terrace are breath-taking.

Following our private tour, we will have coffee, tea and biscuits.