Head of a Woman
José DE CREEFT
(Spanish, active USA, 1884 - 1982)
Head of a Woman
Datebefore 1945
Mediummarble
Dimensionsobject: 13 × 7 × 10 1/2 in. (33 × 17.8 × 26.7 cm)
weight: 41 lb. (18.6 kg)
ClassificationSCULPTURE
Credit LineSBMA, Gift of Mrs. John D. Graham
Object number1958.11
Subject(s)
- women
Collection
- 20th century American
Sub-Collection(s)
- Modernism
On View
Not on viewLabel TextAs a leading disseminator of the direct carving technique, European émigré José de Creeft had a major impact on modernist sculpture in the United States. Head of a Woman demonstrates De Creeft's command of the hands-on approach which he shared with hundreds of students beginning in the 1930s and 1940s. In this work, the rough texture of chiseled hair sets off the polished finish and clean lines of the figure’s face, demonstrating the high contrast which direct carving bestowed on modernist form. The simplified contour of the angular profile is characteristic of the way in which De Creeft effectively synthesized non-Western inspiration and modernist innovation.
