Last night I went to see the wrestlers. God! I have seldom seen anything so lovely, two athletic types, large shoulders, taut, big necks like bulls, small in the build with firm thighs. (Gaudier-Brzeska in a letter of 3 Dec 1912).

Gaudier-Brzeska was born in France and settled in London in 1910. Despite a mere four years of creative work he is now regarded as one of the leading sculptors of the pre-war years. He was interested in the physicality of the human body, and how it could move. The Wrestler belongs to a series of works, including sketches, prints and reliefs he made of wrestlers at bouts.