Contents
Barbara Hepworth
Creating pierced abstract sculptures that make the space inside a form as important as its surface.
Pierced Form · Pelagos
- Born
- 10 January 1903
- Birthplace
- Wakefield, United Kingdom
- Died
- 20 May 1975
More people
Barbara Hepworth
Barbara Hepworth was a British sculptor whose carved and cast forms drew on the body and landscape. Based in St Ives for much of her life, she became a leading figure in international modern sculpture.
Early life
Yorkshire beginnings
Studied at Leeds School of Art, where she met Henry Moore.
Learning to carve
Continued at the Royal College of Art and studied marble carving while living in Italy.
Career
- 1920s
Early exhibitions
Returned from Italy and exhibited sculpture in London.
- 1930s
Towards abstraction
Developed pierced forms and joined international circles of abstract artists.
- 1939
Moving to Cornwall
Settled in St Ives, where landscape and the sea informed her work.
- 1950s–1960s
Public commissions
Expanded into large bronzes and received major international commissions.
Selected work
Pierced Form
An early exploration of a hole through a solid sculptural form; the original was later destroyed.
Pelagos
A hollowed wooden form with strings suggesting tension and coastal space.
Single Form
A monumental bronze installed outside the United Nations in New York.
Two Forms (Divided Circle)
Paired bronze forms that frame a circular opening.
Beyond the studio
Art and motherhood
Raised four children, including triplets, while maintaining her practice.
Hospital drawings
Observing surgeons at work led to a distinctive series of operating-theatre drawings.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Museum or specialist research ↗Life and work — Hepworth estate ↗Photo: Erling Mandelmann. CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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