The Sculpture Of Charles Sargeant Jagger

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Charles Sargeant Jagger (1885-1934) was a prominent war memorial sculptor whose career, though brief at 16 years, significantly impacted British sculpture after 1918. His military figures reveal his artistic motivations, showcasing rugged, characteristic features that earned him a 'realist' label, diverging from the prevailing idealism of his time. Beyond realism, Jagger's works imbue uniforms and equipment with symbolic meaning, while their symmetrical poses reflect primitive art influences. This blend of realism and primitivism permeates his oeuvre, which includes war memorials, religious works, portrait statues, and decorative architectural designs. Despite criticism for not aligning with modernist trends, Jagger's work is celebrated, particularly his Royal Artillery memorial, regarded as an iconic piece of early twentieth-century British sculpture. In this comprehensive study of Jagger's career, Ann Compton aims to position him within the art-historical narrative. Featuring images of all his sculptures and research from unpublished sources, including the artist's private papers, this work offers an authoritative overview of a career that has been largely overlooked.