From Leighton to Lucas, this fascinating book explores sculpture in Britain from the end of the Victorian era to the dawn of the new millennium. Considering the way in which sculpture mediates issues of national identity and how Britain's links with its empire have shaped its artistic output, the book also highlights the dialogues between British and international sculpture. The importance of the country's landscape as a location and medium is examined, as is the perennial choice faced by the sculptor between figuration and abstraction. Sculpture has changed dramatically in the last century. Traditional materials have given way to expanded practices and the dematerialisation of the art object altogether. With incisive essays by leading authorities, and including previously unpublished archive material and new bibliographic sources, this compelling book documents these seismic shifts. Published to support an exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in 2011.