This bronze sculpture by Barbara Hepworth, is entitled 'Figure' and is dated 1964.

Barbara Hepworth’s 'Figure' is characteristic of her work, portraying the traditional sophisticated lines associated with her combination of geometry and organic form. The polished bronze of the sculpture has a wood-like finish. The artist’s signature can be seen towards the back of the base.

Barbara Hepworth was one of the most important figures in the development of abstract art in Britain. While she never championed a feminist platform she was one of the few female artists of her generation to achieve international standing. Many have written of Hepworth’s far-reaching influence, infiltrating mainly male art circles. In 1965 she became a Dame and the Tate Gallery’s first female trustee.

For Hepworth, sculpting was an intensely physical experience: “The strokes of the hammer on the chisel should be in time with your heartbeat. You breathe easily. The whole of your body is involved. You move around the sculpture, and the whole of you, from the toes up, is concentrated in your left hand, which dictates the creation...”

As with this sculpture, many of her works explore the idea of negative space. Some of her sculptures represented the ancient standing stones of Cornwall, where she lived from 1939 until her death in 1975. Perhaps this is one of them.

This sculpture is one of the highlights of the University’s art collection and has been is one of the most popular pieces on our Streatham campus scultpure walk. Find out more here.