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Notes

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The human figure was a central theme of Hepworth's early career. This drawing is related to a series of figure carvings that the artist made between 1928 and 1931. The emphasis on hands, arms and torso gives the figure a sense of monumentality and mass.

Hepworth returned to drawing the figure at regular intervals throughout her career, often at moments of transition. 1929 was a key period in her development. Her figurative carvings achieved a scale and confidence that released her work from the conformity of the block.

Hepworth spent two years in Italy where she met and married her first husband John Skeaping. Her training at the British School in Rome under the master carver Ardini engendered her lifelong engagement with classical culture and the human form.

The Pier Arts Centre

Stromness

Title

Figure

Date

1929–1930

Medium

oil & pencil on board

Measurements

H 30.5 x W 26 cm

Accession number

PAC 13

Acquisition method

gift from Margaret Gardiner, 1979

Work type

Painting

Inscription description

1. 'Mrs M. Gardiner Bernal'. 2. 'Barbara Hepworth / 1933'. 3. 'Figure, oil x pencil / 12 x 10¼ / 29-30 / Coll. M. Gardiner'. 4. gallery label for MarlBorough Fine Art, London. 5. exhibition label for Tate (3rd April-19th May). 6. exhibition label for Wakefield City Art Gallery and Museum.

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