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A silver metal sculpture with areas of brown on an upright metal rod.

The silver sculpture is mounted on an upright metal rod. The sculpture is long, composed of loosely shaped joined sections. The left section is wedge-shaped with loops and legs extending from the bottom, a V-shaped strip is on the top surmounted with hollowed out rectangles. A strip extends to a horizontally placed circle connects to a short vertical rod and a quarter-moon shape joined to a larger section on the right which is rough oval. Two wide strips of metal extend from the oval. A horizontal rod extends a short distance down, and wavy metal shaped strips are connected at the bottom of the rod.

Gallery Text

The first decades of Smith’s career were dedicated to the proposition that it is possible to make fine art using industrial techniques and materials. In the sculptures on view here, he argues instead that it is equally possible to make sculpture out of sterling silver, a material usually reserved for tableware, jewelry, and religious objects. While in the past he had cast small pieces of jewelry, it was not until 1953 that he began to experiment with silver sculpture. The effort was spurred by a commission from the American manufacturer Towle Silversmiths, who were interested in expanding the material’s use. In 1953 Towle hired eight established artists to make one sculpture apiece. These objects formed the centerpiece of a touring exhibition that included silver objects dating from ancient times to the present. Smith’s contribution to this endeavor was Birthday, made of forms cut and twisted from the slab metal he was provided. The two later sculptures utilize many of the techniques he applied to bronze and steel. The welded Bird revels in gesture; its drip and splatter marks created by the torch attest to the artist’s movements much as tool marks do on a marble sculpture. These gestural markings contrast with the measured geometric forms and lightly marked surfaces of Books and Apple, in which welding simply serves to connect the cut and assembled parts. Although he made only eight sculptures in silver, these works were the point of departure for an exploration of reflective metals that culminated in the bright stainless-steel surfaces of the Cubi series, which were burnished to reflect the changing light of their outdoor settings.

With more than 60 objects in all media, the Harvard Art Museums have the largest and most complete museum representation of the work of David Smith,due primarily to the generosity of Lois Orswell.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
2014.17
People
David Smith, American (Decatur, IN 1906 - 1965 Bennington, VT)
Title
Birthday
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
sculpture
Date
1954
Culture
American
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/337163

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Silver
Dimensions
27.9 x 57.2 x 15.2 cm (11 x 22 1/2 x 6 in.)
Inscriptions and Marks
  • inscription: on sculpture: David Smith 3/9/54. F 262.

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
David Smith, created 1954; Collection of Towle Silversmiths, Boston, MA; private collection. Estate of Margret Withers, by bequest; to Harvard Art Museums, 2014.

State, Edition, Standard Reference Number

Standard Reference Number
Krauss 321

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Bequest of Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Withers
Copyright
© The Estate of David Smith / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
Accession Year
2014
Object Number
2014.17
Division
Modern and Contemporary Art
Contact
am_moderncontemporary@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Publication History

  • Martica Sawin, "Sculpture in Silver", Arts Digest (1955), vol. 29, no. 20, p19, Cover, p. 19, ill.
  • "Sculpture in Silver", American Artist (1955), vol. 19, no. 9, p. 49, p. 49
  • "Silver Art Objects in the Headlines", Interiors (1955), vol. 115, no. 4, p. 16, p. 16, ill.
  • Sculpture in Silver from Islands in Time, exh. cat., American Federation of Arts (New York, NY, 1955), no. 29, ill.
  • [Reproduction only], , Art In America, (New York, 1956)., p. 55, ill.
  • K. C. Buhler, "The Silversmiths' Art In America", Art in America (1956), vol. 44, no. 2, pp. 55, 72, pp. 55, 72, ill.
  • Aline Jean Treanor, "Sculptors Are Using More Metal" (1958), p. 112
  • Jane Harrison Cone, David Smith 1906-1965: A Retrospective Exhibition, exh. cat., Thomas Todd Co. (Cambridge, MA, 1966), p. 74, no. 262
  • Stanley Marcus, "The Working Methods of David Smith" (1972), Columbia University
  • Rosalind E. Krauss, The Sculpture of David Smith, a Catalogue Raisonné, Garland Publishing, Inc. (New York, NY, 1977), p. 64, no. 321, reproduced fig. 321.
  • Stanley E. Marcus, David Smith: The Sculptor and His Work, Cornell University Press (Ithaca, NY, 1983), p. 163
  • Indianapolis Museum of Art: Collections Handbook, Indianapolis Museum of Art (Indianapolis, 1988), p. 119
  • Consuelo Ciscar, Julio González/David Smith: un Diálogo Sobre la Escultura, exh. cat., Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno (Valencia, Spain, 2011), p. 425

Exhibition History

  • Sculpture in Silver from Islands of Time, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn, 09/14/1955 - 10/16/1955; Speed Art Museum, Louisville, 10/30/1955 - 11/20/1955; Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, 12/04/1955 - 12/25/1955; M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, 01/08/1956 - 01/29/1956; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, 02/12/1956 - 03/04/1956; Lawrence Art Museum, 11/08/1956 - 11/21/1956
  • 32Q: 1110 Mid-Century Abstraction II (Post-Painterly Abstraction), Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/16/2014 - 06/03/2021

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