William Turnbull

Night

About this artwork

This piece was made after Turnbull bought some rosewood logs at a timber merchant's yard. He had not previously done any carving, but produced a series of works in which several elements, often different materials, are stacked on top of each other. The shape of this sculpture suggests a primitive idol, something which might be a focus of worship in another culture. The sliced ovoid form, which sits delicately on the horizontal bar, developed from Turnbull's fascination with opening flowers, and was partly inspired by Monet's late water-lily paintings. The form can also read as a head gazing upward.

Updated before 2020

  • artist:
    William Turnbull (1922 - 2012) Scottish
  • title:
    Night
  • date created:
    1962 - 1963
  • materials:
    Bronze and rosewood
  • measurements:
    161.40 x 124.50 x 43.00 cm
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    Purchased 1984
  • accession number:
    GMA 2831
  • gallery:
  • subject:
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William Turnbull

William Turnbull