FILTER RESULTS
by Artist
by Artist
by Century
by Object Type
Woman with Book
191820th century
16 in. x 5 1/2 in. x 6 in. (40.64 cm x 13.97 cm x 15.24 cm)
Jacques Lipschitz, French, (1891–1973)
Object Type:
Sculpture and Installations
Creation Place:
Europe, France
Medium and Support:
cast bronze
Credit Line:
Carleton College Art Collection, gift of the class of 1955
Accession Number:
1998.126
Woman with a Book fits very securely within Lipchitz's cubist period. Made in 1918, it possesses the faceting of surfaces and angularity of shape that are the trademarks of cubism. The body parts of the woman are seemingly detached from one another: one shoulder protrudes while the other recedes, we see a profile view of the face while the hair appears head-on. In this work, however, Lipchitz is still refining his cubist style. It holds much in common with Seated Man with Guitar I (1918-19, 30') in their similarly rectangular, block-like shape, and their preponderance of straight lines. However, Woman with a Book, at eighteen inches tall is much smaller than most of his other sculptures of this period. As Lipchitz worked further in the cubist mode, his sculptures became much more receptive to being viewed in-the-round. An example of this is what many see as Lipchitz's greatest accomplishment in his Cubist period, his bronze Bather (1922-23, 80'). As a critic states, during the years of 1915 to 1925 Lipchitz developed his Cubist formula for sculpture with increasing richness and tension....In these works we see a sealing-off of the closed form, the preponderant vertical, and the inner dynamism of the contrasting directions of parts and of contrasting light and dark, which is governed by a masterly distribution of the concave and convex. Using modest dimensions, he creates grand forms, hardly recognizable any longer as human anatomy, figures re-created according to other biological laws. Comparing them to other works one can say without exaggeration that these are peak achievements....'
Woman with a Book was given to Carleton College by The Class of 1955. It was purchased directly from the artist in 1955. The sculpture is on permanent display in the lobby of the Laurence McKinley Gould Library. Mr. Lipchitz visited and gave a public lecture on the Carleton College campus in December of 1963.
Woman with a Book was given to Carleton College by The Class of 1955. It was purchased directly from the artist in 1955. The sculpture is on permanent display in the lobby of the Laurence McKinley Gould Library. Mr. Lipchitz visited and gave a public lecture on the Carleton College campus in December of 1963.
Keywords
Click a term to view the records with the same keyword
This object has the following keywords:
20th Century,
21st Century,
bronze (metal)*,
bronzes (objects)*,
casting (process)*,
casts (sculpture)*,
Contemporary*,
French*,
sculpture (visual work)*,
three-dimensional*
- 20th Century
- 21st Century
- bronze (metal) - Refers to a broad range of alloys of copper, specifically any non-ferrous alloy of copper, tin, and zinc or other trace metals. Bronze was made before 3,000 BCE -- possibly as early as 10,000 BCE, although its common use in tools and decorative items is dated only in later artifacts. The proportions of copper and tin vary widely, from 70 to 95 percent copper in surviving ancient artifacts. Because of the copper base, bronze may be very malleable and easy to work. By the Middle Ages in Europe, it was recognized that using the metals in certain proportions could yield specific properties. Some modern bronzes contain no tin at all, substituting other metals such as aluminum, manganese, and even zinc. Historically, the term was used interchangeably with "latten." U.S. standard bronze is composed of 90% copper, 7% tin and 3% zinc. Ancient bronze alloys sometimes contained up to 14% tin.
- bronzes (objects) - Collectively, the class of sculptures, containers, or other objects executed in bronze, especially artifacts or works considered to be art. When possible, use the material term "bronze (metal)" plus a more specific object name, such as "bronze" + "figurines" or "bronze" + "bowl."
- casting (process) - The act or process of making casts or of shaping in a mold; usually refers to pouring liquid material into a mold, as distinguished from pressing a material into a mold, for which prefer "molding."
- casts (sculpture) - Sculptural works or reproductions made by casting. In industrial and building trade contexts, prefer "castings."
- Contemporary - Refers to painting, sculpture, graphic arts, and architecture dating from the recent past and present. It differs from modern art in that the term 'contemporary art' does not carry the implication of a non-traditional style, but instead refers only to the time period in which the work was created. 'Modern' and 'contemporary' are inherently fluid terms. The term 'contemporary' is sometimes more narrowly used to refer to art from ca. 1960 or 1970 up to the present.
- French - Refers to the culture of the modern nation of France, or in general to cultures that have occupied the area of the modern nation in western Europe.
- sculpture (visual work) - Works of art in which images and forms are produced in relief, in intaglio, or in the round. It refers especially to those objects that retain the quality of being tangible objects or groups of objects. It refers particularly to art works created by carving or engraving a hard material, by molding or casting a malleable material, or by assembling parts to create a three-dimensional object. It is typically used to refer to large or medium-sized objects made of stone, wood, bronze, or another metal. Small objects are typically referred to as "carvings." As works become more diffused in space or time, or less tangible, use specific terms, such as "mail art" or "environmental art."
- three-dimensional - Having, or appearing to have, the three dimensions of length, width, and height.
Additional Images
Click an image to view a larger version
Exhibition List
This object was included in the following exhibitions:
- Curious Objects: Learning and Teaching with the Carleton Art Collection , 9/6/2022 - 11/16/2022
Dimensions
- overall Dimensions: 16 x 5 1/2 x 6 in. (406 x 140 x 152 mm)
Portfolio List
Click a portfolio name to view all the objects in that portfolio
This object is a member of the following portfolios:
