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Stringed Figure (Curlew) (Version I)
brass, string, wood base
c. 1956
Barbara Hepworth
UK

#handmade ##art #sculpture #modernsculpture #BarbaraHepworth #stringedfigure #curlew #versionI
#c1956 #BritishModern #UK #BritishSculpture #modernart #abstract #brass #fishermanstring #wood #base #1950sart
Stringed Figure (Curlew) (Version I), created in 1956 by the renowned British sculptor Dame Barbara Hepworth. Crafted from brass and tensioned string mounted on an original wooden base. Barbara Hepworth created Stringed Figure (Curlew) (Version I), the larger precursor to Stringed Figure (Curlew) (Marquette), in her studio in St. Ives in 1956. This magnificent sculpture marks a short but meaningful period in the artist’s oeuvre. In the 1950s, Hepworth began to explore the sculptural medium of sheet metal. This medium brought greater freedom than bronze or wood; it allowed for more exaggerated and parabolic curves to be created with ease. The use of new materials is partly explained due to the demand for her work. Working in a more malleable and new material not only allowed the artist to create the work in time to meet the demand but also allowed her to expand her expertise in a new direction. Moreover, there are three works in total that have this same title, as well as this same technique which was used to develop other commissions such as the Orpheus (Maquette 2) (Version II) , further demonstrating not only her continuous artistic evolution but also her commercial success. Aside from the brass, Hepworth also used cotton fisherman’s string, which she acquired locally. Hepworth always had a deep appreciation for St. Ives and it seems natural that the love she felt for the town was extended into her artworks. Parallels can be drawn with the work of other artists from the time such as Lynn Chadwick’s Stabile with Mobile Element 1951). At the time Chadwick was also exploring the varying possibilities of balance, contour, and form that could be developed using sheet metal. Stringed Figure (Curlew) (Version I) conveys a rhythmic quality of movement - similar to that of a bird mid-flight - and explores shape and space in a formal yet innovative way.
September 19, 2026 at 1:07 PM