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Beach Scene

A work made of steel.
© 2019 The Estate of David Smith / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.

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  • A work made of steel.

Date:

1949

Artist:

David Smith
American, 1906-1965

About this artwork

David Smith found inspiration for his early work in the Surrealist sculptures of Alberto Giacometti and Hans Arp, as well as the paintings of Arshile Gorky and Joan Miró. Among the first American artists to master the use of steel and other industrial materials, Smith worked as a welder at a Studebaker automobile plant, where he gained firsthand experience with metal. He made Beach Scene early in his career, at a time when he was interested in organic forms and an unplanned, autonomous approach to art making: “I do not work with a conscious and specific conviction about a piece of sculpture,” he explained. “It is always open to change and a new association.”

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Contemporary Art

Artist

David Smith

Title

Beach Scene

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1949

Medium

Steel

Inscriptions

Stamped signature and date on central vertical element: “David Smith/1949”

Dimensions

58.4 × 60.6 × 20.3 cm (23 × 23 7/8 × 8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Society for Contemporary American Art

Reference Number

1952.199

Copyright

© 2019 The Estate of David Smith / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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