The present work is one of a number made by Geoffrey Clarke over 1953/4 that relates to figures playing with a ball. One inspiration was the 'Football and the Fine Arts' competition and exhibition in 1953. Clarke made two groups of three small, freestanding iron sculptures, and four etchings. One of the iron sculptures, 'Footballers', was entered into the competition and exhibited as part of it in 1953. The other sculpture, 'Football Match' was shown at the Heffer Gallery in Cambridge in 1953. Both works were subsequently split up into individual figures (six in total) and renamed 'Symbols for Man'. One of the etchings, 'Study of the ball striking the net', was exhibited in the 1953 football exhibition and won a prize. Clarke also made a set of nine aluminium sculptures, 'Ritual', in 1966, related to England winning the World Cup.

'Child with a Ball' does not relate directly to football but was inspired by the artist watching a child throw a ball in the air. It was one of a series of four iron reliefs made by the artist in 1954 (the others being 'Woman', 'Head and Shoulders' and 'Man with a Whip').

We are grateful to Judith Legrove for her assistance in cataloguing this work.