Wave
About this artwork
Wave was inspired by the landscape of Cornwall, where Hepworth lived at the time. The piece epitomises the kind of sculpture the artist was producing towards the end of the Second World War. The artist has combined organic form with natural materials and the use of string. The Russian Constructivist sculptor, Naum Gabo used nylon thread in his sculpture from around 1938 and Hepworth, who knew him well, may have been influenced by this, as well as by mathematical models. The string emphasizes the tension between the interior and exterior of the work. This tension is further highlighted by the contrast between the polished wood and matt, painted interior.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Barbara Hepworth (1903 - 1975) English
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title:Wave
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date created:1943 - 1944
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materials:Wood, paint, string
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measurements:30.50 x 44.50 x 21.00 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Purchased with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and the Henry Moore Foundation, 1999
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accession number:GMA 4305
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gallery:
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subject:
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artwork photographed by:Antonia Reeve
Barbara Hepworth
Barbara Hepworth
Hepworth studied at Leeds College of Art and the Royal College of Art, London. In 1924 she travelled to Italy on a scholarship to study the techniques of marble carving. Her first major exhibition at the Beaux Arts Gallery in 1928 consisted mainly of stone carvings of figures and animals. From 1932...