Astrid Zydower facts for kids

Astrid Zydower MBE (born August 4, 1930 – died May 27, 2005) was a talented British sculptor. She created many amazing artworks, including large figures and busts of famous people. Her life story is also very inspiring, showing how she overcame challenges to become a celebrated artist.

Her Early Life and Journey to Britain

Astrid Zydower was born in 1930 in a small village. This village was in Germany at the time, but it is now part of Poland. Her family was Jewish. During this period, Jewish people faced great danger from the Nazi government.

Because of this danger, Astrid and her two siblings had to leave their home. In 1939, they were evacuated to Britain. They traveled on the very last Kindertransport train. This special train helped Jewish children escape before World War II began. Sadly, Astrid's parents could not leave Germany. They were later taken to the Auschwitz concentration camp and did not survive.

Finding Her Artistic Path

In England, the three Zydower children were cared for by a Quaker family, the Freemans, in Sheffield. At first, Astrid found school difficult because she couldn't speak English. However, she soon showed a great talent for drawing.

This talent led her to study at the Sheffield School of Art. She then won a special scholarship. This allowed her to attend the famous Royal College of Art in London. From 1952 to 1957, she learned sculpture from well-known artists like Frank Dobson and John Skeaping. She also took drawing classes with Leon Underwood.

After graduating, Astrid was offered a job helping a famous sculptor, Jacob Epstein. But she had already received her own commissions. These were for important exhibitions, like the Observer Film Exhibition.

Creating Famous Sculptures

In 1958, Astrid Zydower created eleven busts. These were sculptures of important English writers. They were displayed at the Brussels World Fair, a big international event.

During the 1960s, Astrid taught art at the Hornsey School of Art in London. She also received many important sculpture jobs. Often, these sculptures were very large.

• In 1964, she made a series of life-size figures. These were for the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's birth in Stratford, Ontario.
• For the Expo '67 world fair in Montreal, she created 45 figures for the British Pavilion.
• She also made artworks for Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan.

Virgin and Child; part of the Nativity scene at Lincoln Cathedral

One of Astrid's students at Hornsey was Shirley Ann Shepherd. She was married to Charlie Watts, the drummer for The Rolling Stones. This connection led to Astrid getting commissions from Charlie Watts and other band members. She made a bust of Ulysses for Charlie Watts. For Mick Jagger, she sculpted a head of Actaeon.

Other important works include:

• A figure of Lord Mountbatten from 1968. He was the Viceroy of India.
• A bronze memorial of Winston Churchill for the Sultan of Brunei.
• A large Nativity scene for St Paul's Cathedral. This was shown every Christmas for many years. It was later moved to Lincoln Cathedral.
• For the Museum of the Jewish Diaspora in Tel-Aviv, she created a scene of ten men, called a minyan, getting ready to pray.

In 1970, she was asked to create a bronze bust of Dame Marie Rambert. Marie Rambert founded the Ballet Rambert. This led to a lasting friendship. Astrid also created several other sculptures of ballet dancers, including some from the New York City Ballet.

In 1984, Astrid made a nine-foot-high bronze sculpture of Orpheus carrying a leopard. This impressive work is part of a fountain at Harewood House in Yorkshire. Later in her life, she focused more on etching. These were mainly drawings of figures from Greek mythology.

Her Legacy

Astrid Zydower's artworks are kept in important museums. These include the Victoria & Albert Museum and the National Portrait Gallery in London. In 1968, she was given an MBE award. This is a special honor in Britain.

For many years, Astrid lived and worked in a large house in Kentish Town, north London. She passed away there in 2005.

Images for kids

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  Virgin and Child; part of the Nativity installed at Lincoln Cathedral