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fine art by subject
Madame X
2006
Radio black marble
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Details
Description
Martin Isler (American, 1926-2013).
Radio black marble quarried from Vermont.
Described by the artist as a classical bust depicting an oval formed by the face and mass of hair on top of a long neck.
The marble sculptures of Martin Isler are byproducts of an artist's passion for art and archaeology. Martin studied painting in the mid-1960s at the Art Student League, at a time in which the artistic climate favored abstract painting over classical sculpting. He eventually succumbed to his lifelong desire to sculpt in stone and spent the next 50 years creating and learning. He learned the basics of carving from the written records of Italian Renaissance figure Giorgio Vasari, who outlined the technique used by Michelangelo. The art of stone carving required the artist to maneuver exceptionally heavy blocks of stone himself, sparking in him a curiosity on how the Egyptians were able to construct pyramids. Having successfully moved a number of very large blocks using levers, pulleys, rollers and wedges, Martin eventually came to wonder how the ancient people accomplished their great feats of building with stone. Curiosity turned into obsession and Martin spent the next 25 years on travel, research and fieldwork, including a deep dive into the basement depositories of the British Museum.
Carved in 2006, before the artist's passing in 2013, the work represents a culmination of artist's craft and perfection. Martin's work has been displayed in numerous exhibitions and is held in a number of prestigious private collections throughout the U.S. His years of research on Ancient Egypt manifests in his 2001 publication, Sticks, Stones and Shadows, Building the Egyptian Pyramids.
Dimensions
Signature
Etched Martin Isler 2006
Provenance
Martin Isler
By descent from the above
Exhibition
North Salem, NY, Martin Isler, Exhibition of Sculpture, 1965-2012, October 21, 2012
Condition Report
Excellent condition with no sign of repair or breaks
Art Period
Movement/Style
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