For Auction – Lloyd’s of London

25 June, 2007

Renowned micro-sculptor Willard Wigan has just completed his latest and most intricate work, which will be prestigiously placed for auction by The David Lloyd Gallery on 24 July 2007.

By special commission, Willard has recreated one of London’s leading landmarks and home to the world’s insurance markets, the iconic Lloyd’s of London building. Willard’s recreation is to the exact precision and proportion of the real thing, but sitting on the head of a pin!

Famously designed by one of Britain’s foremost living architects Lord Richard Rogers, who is known for such pioneering buildings as the Pompidou Centre in Paris, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and the Millennium Dome in London, Lloyds’ detail and layering has taken four months for Willard to duplicate using white gold and platinum.

Willard said: “This has been the most difficult piece that I have ever made. The precision needed to ensure that the microsculpture is entirely to scale and proportion placed an incredible physical and mental demand on me. 

“To replicate something that someone else has such pride in is a huge responsibility. Combining that with my own perfectionism has made this piece even more painstaking, but the result is most definitely worth it – particularly as I completed the piece on my 50th birthday.” 

Working from a specially created paper scale model, Willard’s meticulous effort has produced a piece that Lord Rogers has endorsed as an accurate replica of his own creation. At a recent private viewing, Lord Rogers said: “Designing the actual building itself was an intricate challenge, but to see it recreated in such miniscule proportions and with so much detail is quite unbelievable. I had to look through the microscope several times to check my eyes weren’t deceiving me.

“It’s an honour to have one of my architectural creations captured so accurately and in such a distinctive, memorable way.”

‘Lloyd’s of London on the head of a pin’ will be unveiled at the auction, and will be accompanied by the first exhibition of Willard’s work by The David Lloyd Gallery, following the former Davis Cup captain’s acquisition of the 70 piece collection earlier this year. 30 pieces from the collection will be exhibited together for the first time, in custom built display cases incorporating microscopic and telescopic loupe viewing lenses.

David Lloyd said: “I’m extremely excited about this event, and ‘Lloyd’s of London on the head of a pin’ is a breathtaking piece of art. To witness people’s reactions and disbelief when they see Willard’s work for the first time is fantastic.

“For an artist, a British artist, to have such a unique skill and create works so unbelievable is to be celebrated. I have a belief in Willard and his work and have bought his collection for that very reason. In my opinion, he ranks amongst one of the greats.

“In addition, proceeds from the auction of this piece will go to two very worthwhile charities, the Prince’s Trust and the National Dyslexia Association, which is a charity very close to Willard’s heart.” 

Fittingly the prestigious auction and exhibition will be held at Lloyd’s itself and will be conducted by fine arts specialist Eric Knowles of Bonham’s.

Eric commented: “Willard Wigan has again amazingly defied science to recreate this iconic building, which sits on the head of a pin and can only be viewed through a microscope.

“It is a privilege to be involved in such an event. Undoubtedly this will be the most expensive building per square foot ever to be sold in the world.”