“There is something radical, strange and enigmatic about [Caro’s] heavy works, and in the setting of architect Sir John Soane’s Pitzhanger Manor in west London, they simultaneously shine, intrigue and bear down on the building.”
Anthony Caro (1924–2013), widely regarded as one of the 20th century’s most influential sculptors, is the subject of Pitzhanger’s spring exhibition, opening on what would have been his 99th birthday.
Caro heralded a revolution in sculpture in the 1960s, redefining what sculpture was and what it could be. His abstract constructions in painted steel overturned conventional ideas about materials, methods, surface, scale and space. Architecture was an important source of his inspiration, which he described as “perhaps the purest abstract visual form.”
The exhibition will focus on the resurgence and development of architectural themes within Caro’s sculpture, comprising 16 key works created between 1983–2013. The pieces explore contained space and its relation to the human figure; architectural features such as passages, doors and steps in the form of sculpture; the use of specific materials – notably Caro’s use of coloured Perspex, which echoes Soane’s use of stained glass, as well as steel, wood, concrete, stoneware and brass; and the relationship between exterior and interior areas.
“This exhibition develops a fertile dialogue between Caro’s sculpture and the unique character of Soane’s building.”
Paul Moorhouse Curator, Chief Executive of the Anthony Caro Centre
Highlights of the exhibition include The Child’s Tower Room (1983–4), the earliest work on display which breaches the boundaries between sculpture and architecture with spiral steps and hidden chambers, which children will be invited to explore within the exhibition. Autumn Rhapsody (2012–13) reveals Caro, at the end of his life, continuing to develop the language of sculpture with concealed, enclosed spaces that the viewer glimpses through surrounding walls of transparent Perspex. The exhibition’s climax is formed by four large works in which he explored the transition from one place to another. A room devoted to small-scale sculptures will demonstrate the intimate nature of Caro’s architectural language.
Please note that although our Manor House remains open as normal, we are hosting our Wedding Open Day across the Manor space on 25th October 2025. Artworks in the Manor will be available as normal.
Please note that the Eating Room in Pitzhanger Manor will be closed at 2–2.45pm on Sunday 7 December for a private event. Artworks in the affected space will be temporarily off view, but General Admission continues as usual. All rooms will be open before and after this time during our regular opening hours.
Please note that Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery will close at 4pm on 11 December for a private event. Bella Pūglia Café will close at 4:30pm as usual, and the Pitzhanger Shop will remain open to the public until 5pm.
Please note that the Eating Room in Pitzhanger Manor will be closed at 1–3pm on Saturday 24 January for a private event. Artworks in the affected space will be temporarily off view, but General Admission continues as usual. All rooms will be open before and after this time during our regular opening hours.
Please note that there will be some slight disturbance to the Eating Room in Pitzhanger Manor and Pitzhanger Galleryat 3–5pm on Thursday 11 December for a private event. The rooms will remain open to the public, and General Admission continues as usual.
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