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Construction after the Enjoyment of a Mulberry Tree

A work made of steel, bronze, and silver.
© 2018 Estate of Harry Bertoia / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

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  • A work made of steel, bronze, and silver.

Date:

1953

Artist:

Harry Bertoia (American, born Italy, 1915–1978)

About this artwork

Trained in metalwork at Cranbrook Academy of Art, Italian-born Harry Bertoia began his artistic career creating monoprints and jewelry, before moving on to design furniture for Knoll and large-scale metal sculptural forms for architectural projects during the postwar years. Related to the welded sculpture screens Bertoia created during the 1950s for the First National Bank of Miami and the USA Pavilion at the Brussels World’s Fair, this work was exhibited and acquired by the Art Institute in 1954. Composed of thin rectangular, square, and ovoid shapes welded to rods, it suggests contemplation over nature. A study in form and space, Bertoia’s sculpture screen, with its rich textural effects of molten metal and patina, among other surface treatments, is at once linear and organic.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Harry Bertoia (Sculptor)

Title

Construction after the Enjoyment of a Mulberry Tree

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.

1953

Medium

Steel, bronze, and silver

Dimensions

114.3 × 144.8 × 24.1 cm (45 × 57 × 9 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Watson F. Blair Prize Fund

Reference Number

1954.272

Copyright

© 2018 Estate of Harry Bertoia / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

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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