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Two Figures (Menhirs)

Two oblong pieces of wood that taper towards the bottom attached to a rectangular base of lighter wood. Each form has rounded openings painted white.

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  • Two oblong pieces of wood that taper towards the bottom attached to a rectangular base of lighter wood. Each form has rounded openings painted white.

Date:

c. 1954/55

Artist:

Barbara Hepworth
English, 1903-1975

About this artwork

The mysterious forms of Barbara Hepworth’s Two Figures (Menhirs) recall upright human figures or ancient monoliths, like the menhirs erected by Neolithic civilizations near the artist’s home on the southwestern coast of England. Hepworth incorporated the totemic aspect of these prehistoric monumets in works such as this, while also seeking what she described as “some absolute essence in sculptural terms giving the quality of human relationships.” Here, she used her signature technique of piercing carved wood and highlighting the cavities with paint. Hepworth’s fluid use of negative and positive space draws attention to both the surface and the interior forms.

Status

On View, Gallery 291

Department

Contemporary Art

Artist

Barbara Hepworth

Title

Two Figures (Menhirs)

Place

England (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.

1949–1955

Medium

Teak and paint

Dimensions

144.8 × 61 × 44.4 cm (57 × 24 × 17 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Bequest of Solomon B. Smith

Reference Number

1986.1278

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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