A 13-inch sculpture model that Barbara Hepworth gave her doctor has resurfaced for auction in Cornwall, where the aluminium-and-string study for her famous Winged Figure could fetch as much as £80,000

Few people consider doctors to be an imitation of God. Not sure about God, but doctors certainly hold a special place of trust and respect in people's hearts. And sometimes, the relationship between a doctor and a patient extends far beyond the consulting room. Something similar happened between British sculptor Barbara Hepworth and her doctor, Roger Slack. Their friendship eventually became so meaningful that Hepworth gifted him a miniature sculpture of one of her most celebrated works. Nearly six decades later, that very sculpture has resurfaced and could fetch as much as £80,000 at an auction in Cornwall.The 13-inch (33 cm) aluminium-and-string sculpture is a miniature version of Hepworth's famous Winged Figure, which stands on the exterior of the John Lewis department store on Oxford Street, London. The artwork, signed and dated 1967 and numbered 5/9, was gifted to Dr Slack as a personal token of appreciation. According to the original auction listing published by Lay's Auctioneers, the sculpture will be offered as part of its Cornish Art sale on November 26 and 27, 2026.A friendship that went beyond the doctor's clinicWhen Roger Slack arrived in St Ives in 1947 as a general practitioner, he soon found himself treating some of Britain's most celebrated artists, including Barbara Hepworth, Peter Lanyon, Patrick Heron and Terry Frost.