2007.127: Bassorilievo

Identification and Creation

Object Number

2007.127

People

William Tucker, American (Cairo, Egypt born 1935)

Title

Bassorilievo

Classification

Sculpture

Work Type

relief, sculpture

Date

1982-88

Culture

British

Persistent Link

https://hvrd.art/o/316107

Physical Descriptions

Medium

Painted bronze

Dimensions

40.64 x 50.8 cm (16 x 20 in)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History

[Carla Panicali], possible gift; to William S. Lieberman, by bequest; to Harvard University Art Museums, 2007.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line

Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Bequest of William S. Lieberman

Copyright

© William Tucker

Accession Year

2007

Object Number

2007.127

Division

Modern and Contemporary Art

Contact

am_moderncontemporary@harvard.edu

Permissions

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Descriptions

Commentary

William Tucker is a major modern sculptor who born in Egypt, raised and educated in England, and now living in Western Massachusetts. Originally a disciple of Anthony Caro, Tucker made his reputation as an abstract welder (his work was included in Rosalind Krauss's seminal Passages in Modern Sculpture) before turning in recent decades to a more traditional practice of modeling in which parts of bodies (hands, torsos, horse's heads) are vigorously rendered and then cast at large scale. Charcoal drawings for these sculptures form a major part of his work as well.

The present piece dates from a moment of transition in Tucker's career. It was made in 1982 during an Italian sojourn under the influence of Donatello and is part of a large edition. The artist reports (email to Harry Cooper, 6 June 2007): "I made it in the negative, in a clay mould and poured plaster into it to create the relief. The patina simulates the appearance of the original plaster, with traces of red clay …. I made several studies for a large sculpture with this image, in prints, drawings and a free standing maquette."

In addition to his work as a sculptor, Tucker had a long teaching career and is a noted writer on sculpture, best known for his 1974 book The Language of Sculpture. (He participated in the 2003 HUAM symposium on Medardo Rosso.) Recent museum exhibitions have included an installation of his earlier work at MoMA and a show of his Horses at the DeCordova Museum.

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