Harvard Art Museums > M26677: Shoulders Prints Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Shoulders (Martin Puryear)(Paulson Fontaine Press) , M26677,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Nov 18, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/17864. This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number M26677 People Martin Puryear, American (Washington D.C. born 1941) Paulson Fontaine Press Title Shoulders Classification Prints Work Type print Date 2002 Culture American Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/17864 Physical Descriptions Medium Softground etching on chine collé Technique Softground etching Dimensions plate: 45.3 x 60.6 cm (17 13/16 x 23 7/8 in.) sheet: 73.3 x 86 cm (28 7/8 x 33 7/8 in.) Inscriptions and Marks Signed: l.l. in graphite pencil: 3/25; l.r. in graphite pencil: M. Puryear 2002 chop: lower right corner of sheet inscription: lower margin, graphite pencil, in artist's hand: 3/25 M. Puryear 2002 Provenance Recorded Ownership History [Paulson Press, Berkeley, California], sold; to Harvard University Art Museums, December 15, 2006. State, Edition, Standard Reference Number Edition 3/25 Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Margaret Fisher Fund Copyright © Martin Puryear, Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery Accession Year 2005 Object Number M26677 Division Modern and Contemporary Art Contact am_moderncontemporary@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Commentary Martin Puryear is known primarily for his large-scale wood, wire, and tar sculptures. They usually look fastidiously hand crafted, as do the forms apparent in this softground etching by the artist. The shape of "Shoulders" suggests a yoke or the frame of a bed, but because the form exists against an undefined background, it is impossible to identify the object depicted. Like Puryear's sculpture, it reminds the viewer of something else but doesn't offer the satisfaction of identification, thereby throwing into question the viewer's relationship to the depicted object. Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Modern and Contemporary Art at am_moderncontemporary@harvard.edu