Red Stone Dancer (1913)

Henri Gaudier-Brzeska

red Mansfield stone

Tate, London, Liverpool and St Ives

Classification:

Sculpture

Materials:

Stone

Dimensions:

43.2 x 22.9 x 2.29 cm

Accession Number:

N04515

Credit:

Presented by the Contemporary Art Society, 1930

Scheme:

Gift

Ownership history:

Purchased from the intestate estate of the late Miss Sophie Brzeska (1872-1925) through the Treasury Solicitor by C. Frank Stoop (1863-1933); by whom gifted to the Contemporary Art Society, 1930; presented to the Tate Gallery, 1930

Relationship:

Sophie (Zofia) Suzanne Brzeska Tate, London, Liverpool and St Ives C. (Cornelius) Frank Stoop

The French artist Gaudier-Brzeska spent most of his adult life in London before his untimely death, aged 23. He came from Paris in 1910 with the Polish writer, Sophie Suzanne Brzeska (1872-1925) and they adopted each other's last names although they never married. He was an important pioneer in the revival of carving in sculpture and like many of his fellow sculptors, spent time studying the pieces from around the world in the British Museum. Red Stone Dancer (1913), with its geometrical elements such as the triangle and circle imprinted on its face and breast, incorporates forms from the many different ancient cultures on display there. The naked figure embodies at once both movement and stillness. It was purchased by C. Frank Stoop (1863-1933) who gifted it to the Contemporary Art Society, who presented it to the Tate Gallery in the same year.

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