WORK OF THE WEEK: Laura Ford, Waldegrave Poodles, 2015

Laura Ford
Waldegrave Poodles
2015
Patinated bronze
68 x 33 x 75 cm (each poodle)
2ft 2 x 1ft ⁹⁄₁₀ x 2ft 5 in.

Laura Ford is well known for her portrayals of imagined, fantastical creatures with distinct and uncanny anthropomorphic qualities. The Waldegrave Poodles, an arrangement of three beautifully patinated bronze sculptures, was initially created for her 2015 solo exhibition at Horace Walpole’s gothic villa, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, in collaboration with The New Art Centre. The showing of Ford's work marked the first exhibition of contemporary sculpture at Strawberry Hill. The Waldegrave Poodles was a pinnacle piece in this exhibition, drawing direct reference from the famous portrait: The Ladies Waldegrave by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Commissioned and painted for Horace Walpole, the painting displays his three nieces: Lady Charlotte, Lady Elizabeth, and Lady Anna. It hung in the hall of Strawberry Hill, and is now on permanent display at the National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh.

Pictured above: Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723 - 1792), The Ladies Waldegrave, 1780, oil on canvas. Courtesy of the National Galleries of Scotland.

The painting served to display and 'advertise' Walpole's nieces as affluent and sophisticated ladies, in the hope that they may find suitors for marriage. Ford's ironic and slightly sinister sculpture highlights her concerns around gender and power. As Laura Ford transforms these young women into pampered pooches, she simultaneously explores themes of visibility and invisibility. Through sculptural choices like placing the poodles on a pedestal as a plinth, she draws further attention to the act of primarily viewing women as pieces of art above human beings with autonomy.

Laura Ford
Three Ladies
2014
Pencil on paper
Courtesy of Laura Ford

In Ford's 2014 sketch, the expressions of the faces of the poodles, with dark, downturned brows, feels angry and despondent. However, the faces on the finished sculpture appear far more docile. When asked about this discrepancy, Ford explained, 'I think I always intended for their (the sculptured poodles) faces to be serene, reflecting Reynolds' painting. Yet the sketches held some of their inner anger, their scratchiness.' (Laura Ford) That anger exists, it is acknowledged and immortalised in Ford's sketches. In a similar vein, whilst the sketched poodles sit on chairs, the sculptural decision to place them on a plinth not only holds a metaphor for displaying women, but so too was it 'a way to place them correctly' (Ford), allowing for the unity presented in Reynolds' painting.

In the spirit of the New Year, we have decided to situate some of Roche Court's iconic artworks into new spaces in the park. Ford's Waldegrave Poodles are now next to our Holm Oak tree, the oldest tree at Roche Court, overlooking the rolling valleys and woodlands. The piece is encroached on three sides by a low wall, and better emulates the feeling of Reynolds' painting. Moreover, this location offers the space so essential for moving around and viewing the Waldegrave Poodles, calling to mind our attitudes of observation that Ford seeks to highlight. It has been a joy to curate these familiar pieces in novel places throughout the park, and we warmly invite all to come and see these known and beloved sculptures with fresh perspectives.

After studying at Bath Academy of Art (1978 – 1982), Laura Ford received her MA from Chelsea School of Art. She has exhibited widely, including at the Camden Arts Centre, London; the Arnolfini, Bristol; the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh; the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art in Connecticut, USA, and Strawberry Hill, Twickenham (2015). Selected solo exhibitions include Reveal and Conceal, East Quay, Somerset (2022), Playing Real Pretend, Howick Place, London (2020), Under this roof, Bo Lee and Workman, Bruton (2024) and Hot then cold and inbetween, TEN, Cardiff, (2025). She represented Wales in the 51st Venice Biennale in 2005.

Laura Ford’s work is included in many public collections, including the Tate Collection; the Government Art Collection; National Museum and Galleries of Wales, Cardiff; Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park, Michigan, USA and the Gateway Foundation, St Louis, USA. Her work is currently exhibiting in Subversive Forms, Chippenham Museum, until February 2026.

The New Art Centre is selling Sculpture by Laura Ford, a beautiful and insightful catalogue detailing Ford's exhibition at Strawberry Hill, for sale on our website.