Louvre (‘J.M.W. Turner’ ‘Edward Rampton’)
- Artist: Braco Dimitrijević
- Date: 1975–9
- Medium: Bronze and marble
- Dimensions: object: 1870 x 330 x 350 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
"This is 'Louvre (J.M.W. Turner – Edward Rampton)' by Braco Dimitrijević."
It’s a pair of bronze busts set on integral green‑marble pedestals that carry the inscriptions JMW/TURNER and EDWARD/RAMPTON. The first figure is a sculptural portrait of Joseph Mallord William Turner; the second, a random public figure named Edward Rampton.
Made between 1975 and 1979, Dimitrijević deliberately mixes celebrated artist with an ordinary citizen to make us think about how fame is assigned. By placing a commoner beside a famed painter he invites viewers to reflect on the arbitrary nature of honor and on the role of commemorative busts in elevating certain individuals.
The bronze heads rest solidly on marble plinths, echoing classical practice while simultaneously adding a playful twist. Dimitrijević was born in Sarajevo in 1948 and has been working in Paris ever since. The pair entered the Tate’s collection in 1983 after being shown at several European exhibitions.
See it in person
Louvre (‘J.M.W. Turner’ ‘Edward Rampton’) is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
