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Introduction

Figurative Tradition in Sculpture

June 23 - September 3, 1983

The works assembled here from the permanent collection illustrate many of the concerns addressed by sculptors during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Developing out of the carver/craftsman tradition, sculptors in the early nineteenth century struggled with incorporating their home-spun approaches with the grand European tradition. For several generations, artists studied in Europe, interpreting classical subjects and forms for thier American audiences. Late in the century, a group of artists embraced popular American subjects and a more rigorous method of modeling and carving. The tenets of Modernism enlightened many in the United States, as European-trained artists immigrated from war-torn homelands. Thus abstraction became a viable means of expression. At the same time, contemporary artists continue to extend the figurative tradition in American sculpture.

Selected Objects

Alexander Calder

Tumblers with Spectators, 1931-1932
No Image Available

Albert Edward Sterner, designer

Portrait of the Sculptor, Edmond T. Quinn, 1915

Carl Andre, designer

Untitled, 1976

Frederic Remington

La Fiesta, mid 1800s-early 1900s

Elie Nadelman

Study of Veiled Woman's Head, ca. 1915
No Image Available

Elie Nadelman, designer

Classical Head of a Woman, 1920

Christo, designer

Wrapped Venus, Villa Borghese 1963, 1974

Alexander Calder, designer

Balloons, 1973

Albert Edward Sterner, designer

Portrait of the Sculptor Elie Nadelman, 1917

More objects +

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