Dame Barbara Hepworth

Gimpel Fils, London
Acquired from the above

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 1963

J.P. Hodin, Barbara Hepworth, London, 1961, no. 246

Very good condition. Recently cleaned and waxed.
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As her reputation grew in the 1950s, Hepworth began looking towards the possibility of working specifically for casting in bronze, partly in response to the rigors of the increasingly international nature of her exhibiting schedule. In 1956, works such as Meridian, model for State House began to appear, and, as she made clear to the critics, working in this medium allowed her a new scale and openness in her sculpture. As Alan Bowness explained: "She sensed the fragility and the limitations of wood and stone, and wanted to work on a larger scale.  She had also come to feel that her sculpture was often best seen in an outdoor landscape or garden setting, and bronze alone is suitable for this" (Barbara Hepworth: Sculptures from the Estate (exhibition catalogue), New York, Wildenstein, 1996, p. 7). Clearly finding it difficult to completely throw off the 'truth to materials' concept she had always stuck to, Hepworth devised for herself a working method by which she could both carve and cast. Using an expanded aluminum armature, she then covered this in large quantities of plaster which could then be carved back. Once cast, the intricately worked surface could be further enlivened with the application of a colored patina.

 

Alan Wilkinson notes, "Stylistically, she was able to create more linear, open, transparent forms that would have been impossible to realize in stone or wood.  She was also able to work on a much larger scale.  Having her sculpture cast in bronze in limited editions meant that she could reach a much larger audience, as many more sculptures were available to museums and private collectors." (ibid., p. 29). As was the case with Henry Moore, her sculptures increased in scale as greater and greater opportunities were offered to her.

 

Hepworth began working on this model in 1958 for the sculpture commissioned for the State House in London (see fig.1). The final, 15-foot sculpture that ultimately appeared at the entrance of the building was her first monumental sculpture to be cast in bronze. Abraham Marie Hammacher discusses this sculpture: "Seen from a distance, Meridian, done for the State House in London in 1958, is graphic in character, yet at close quarters the effect is three-dimensional lineation which seems conceivable and capable of execution only in bronze" (Abraham Marie Hammacher, The Sculpture of Barbara Hepworth, New York, p. 117).