Harry Bertoia

Staempfli Gallery, New York

Irving Galleries, Palm Beach, Florida

Wright Chicago, September 27, 2012, lot 138

Acquired from the above by the present owner

June Kompass Nelson, Harry Bertoia: Sculptor, Detroit, 1970, no. 68-69 (for drawings of related examples)

Nancy N. Schiffer and Val O. Bertoia, The World of Bertoia, Atglen, 2003, p. 126 (for a related example)

Beverly H. Twitchell, Bertoia, New York, 2019, p. 203 (for a related example)

This lot is included in the Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonné and assigned the catalogue raisonné number S.WI.97.

Harry Bertoia's vision for the 'Dandelion' was realized following a visit to his native Italy where “...the warmth of the sun and the striking charm and beauty of these ancient towns... gave me a feeling that the world was actually radiating.”

Bertoia captured the ethereal and ephemeral bloom of a dandelion at its fullest, and elevated it from a soft, fluffy weed to a metal beauty. Like much of the sculptor's most recognized work, it is a form found in nature. However, the Dandelion differs from Bertoia's bush, tree, and willow sculptures for its dynamic illusion. Though it is not a kinetic or sound sculpture, it produces the sensation of movement and vibrancy. The ironic and whimsical scale of the Dandelion magnifies a radiating energy which almost pulsates. That, along with Bertoia's technical finesse, contributes to the significance of the form. The present example constitutes a particularly successful and visually compelling iteration, further enhanced with a dynamic, bronzed patina and a granite base.

The present Dandelion's shimmer and glow is a reflection of Bertoia's unmatched craftsmanship and precision. To create the form, a specific number of wires are welded to the end of a specific length rod. At the end of each rod is a nut. Just inside the central steel orb, under the surface, is a corresponding bolt to secure the rod.

Bertoia's patterning of the rods to form the Dandelion was a physical manifestation of his ability to intellectually and creatively express three-dimensional, spherical space. The Dandelion, as with most of his sculptures, goes beyond merely decorative; it defines or contributes to the function and experience of a space or environment.