THE LANGUAGE OF SCULPTURE

WILLIAM TUCKER

with 155 illustrations

'"' T&H ~~ THAMES AND HUDSON Contents

Preface 7

Introduction 9

I RODIN 15

2 BRANCUSI: THE ELEMENTS OF SCULPTURE 41

3 PICASSO: CUBISM AND CONSTRUCTION 59

4 GONzALEZ 75

5 THE SCULPTURE OF MATISSE 85

6 THE OBJECT 107

7 BRANCUSI AT TIRGU Jm 129

8 GRAVITY 145

Notes on the Text 160

List of Illustrations 165

Index 171 r

Index

Italic figures refer to illustrations.

abstraction: in Brancusi, Ill, 131-2, 13,40,42,45,47, ro8, 130; 4; Prid~, 142; in Cubism, 65-6; in Gonzalez, 35; Princess X, 46; The Prodigal Son, 78, 82; in Rietveld, 126; in Rodin, 45,51; 44; Prometheus, 48; 40 , 41; 23, 29, 35-7 Sleep, 112; 111; Sleeping Child, 112; Academy, French, 15, If), 17 110; Sleeping Muse (1909-ll), 48; 39; African art, SI, 96, 141 Sleeping Muse (19ro), ll2-14; 113; Archipenko, Alexander, '60 The Sorceress, 53; 45; Stools, 133; Study Jor Endless Column, 136; Table Barbizon school, 15 oJ Silence, 129, 131-5, 136, 142; Barcelona, Escuela de Bellas Artes, 75 132; Timidity, 47; 38; Tirgu Jiu Baroque style, 154 group, 53, 129-43, 149-50; 131, 132 , Barye, Antoine-Louis, 17, 20, 23, 88 133, 135, 137-8; Torment I, llo-ll; Baudelaire, Charles, ro8 108; Torment II, rro-l2; 109; Torso Beaux-Arts, Ecole des (Paris), 16, 17,42 oJ a Young Man, 53; 47; The Turtle, Boccioni, Umberto: Development oJ a 53; 48; White Negress, 53; Wisdom oJ Bottle in Space, 60 the Earth, 46 Boudin, Eugene, 15 Braque, Georges, 51, 59, 62, 63, 64, Bourdelle, Emile Antoine, 43 66-8, 73, 94, 120; Still-life with Fish, Brancusi, Constantin, 9, 12, 19, 20, 65; 54 35,41-58,60,75,83,86,94-5,98-9, Bucharest Academy, 41 ro7, ro8, 110-16, 127, 129-43, 149- 50, 154; Adam, 56; Adam and Eve, Canova, Antonio, 20, 145; Study 46; Architectural Project, 130-1; Be­ Jor Cupid and Psyche, 8 ginnings oJthe World, 116; 114; Birds, Carpeaux, Jean Baptiste, 15-16, 17, 20 46, 13 1,138; Bird in Space, 50, 141; 43; Carrier-Belleuse, Albert-Ernest, 16 Caryatids, 56; Chimera, 56; The Cezanne, Paul, 12, 15, 16, 17, 23, 94, Cock, 53; 49; Cups I-II, ll6, I-IV, 108; Rocky Landscape, Aix, 63-4; 53 115-18; Danaid, 45; Double Caryatid, classical sources, 3 I, 44, 145, 154 46; Ecorche, 44; 34; Endless Column, collage, 59,62,66-7, 116, 120, 121 30, (1918), 56, 130-1, 138, 150, Collioure, 9 I (1920), 13 8, (1937), 129-32, In Constructivism, 123 138-42; 131, 137-38; Eve, 45; Fish, constructions, 59-60, 68-73, 75-6, 83, 44, 15 0 ; 50; The Gate oJ the Kiss, 56, ro8 129, 131-7, 142, 150; 135; The Kiss, Corot, J ean-Baptiste-Camille, 15 (1907), 13, 40, 45, 47, 130, 135, 136, Courbet, Gustave, 15, 16, 17 138; 5; The Kiss, (19ll ?), 46 ; 37; Cubism, 50-I, 59-74, 75-6, 85, 86, Leda, 53; 134; Maiastra, 50; 42; 94-6, 108, ll6, 118, 120, 121, 127; Mile Pogany, 45; 36; The Prayer, 12, Analytical, 64-5, 67 Daumier, Honore, IS, 22, 23, 8S, Small Dancer, I S4; 150; Small Head I S4; Ratapoil, I S4 with a Triangle, 69; The Three Folds, David, Jacques-Louis, IS 81; Tunnel Head, 80; 71; Woman • Degas, Edgar, 10--12, IS, 16, 21-2, 23, Combing Her Hair, 76; 68; Woman 8 S, 108, I S0--9; After the Bath, with Amphora, 80 Woman Drying Herself, 144; Dancer Gothic architecture, 149 Fastening the String of her Tights, Gothic sculpture, 23 12; 2; Dancer Looking at the Sole of Gris, Juan: The Teacups, 67; 57 her Right Foot, I S4; 148-9; Dancer Putting on her Stocking, 151; Horse Houdon, Jean-Antoine, 41 Clearing an Obstacle, 145- 6; The Masseuse, 154; Petite danseuse de Impressionism, IS, 16, 17-19, 88, 94, quatorze ans, IS4, IS8; 155; Torso of a 108, I So Woman Sponging her Back, I S7-8; Ingres, Jean Auguste Dominique, 17, 153; Woman Washing her Left Leg, IS8 ISO-I Delacroix, Eu~ene, IS, 17 Derain, And&, 43 Japanese prints, ISI Donatello, 21,, 23 Jongkind, Johan Barthold, IS Duchamp, Marcel, rr6-2I, 126, IS8; Bottle Rack, I I 8-2 I; 121; Fountain, Klee, Paul, 76-8 120; Hat Rack, 122; In Advance of the Broken Arm, 119; Readymades, Laurens, Henri, 60 rr8-2I, 126-7 Lipchitz, Jacques, 62, 86 Duchamp-Villon, Raymond, 62 London, Tate Gallery, 70

Exposition Universelle (1900), 10 Maillol, Aristide, 43, 87 Expressionism, 78 Mallarme, Stephane, 60, 108 Manet, Edouard, IS, 17, 19, ISO; Fauvism, 94 Olympia, 19; 7 Flaubert, Gustave, 108 Matisse, Henri, 12,43,60,72-3, 8S-106, Florence, 17 127, I S8; Armless and Legless Torso , 106; 105; The Back series, 86, 96, Gabo, Naum: Head, 6S 101-02, 106; 97-8, 99-100; Bathers Gauguin, Paul, 43, 94 with a Turtle, 91; Bust of an Old Geist, Sidney, 134, 141 Woman, 88; 77, 78; The Dance, 91, Gericault, Theodore, IS, 17 106; 82; Ecorche, 88-91, 106; 79; Giacometti, Alberto, 127, IS8; Woman Head ofJeannette series, 88, 94, 96-8; with her Throat Cut, 127; 126 87-91; Henriette series, 98; 92-94; Gibson,John: The Tinted Venus, 2S ; 11 Horse, 88; The Jaguar, 88; 76; Joy Gonzalez, Joan, 7S of Living, 91; 81; Luxe, calme et Gonzalez, Julio, 9, 62, 72, 73, 7S-84; volupte, 91; Luxury, 91; Madeleine I, Bust of a Woman, 72; Cactus-Men, 12, 88; 80 ; Made/eine Il, 88; Music, 8 I; Crying Montserrat, 78; Dancers, 91; 83; Nude with Flowing Hair, IS4; 150; Foot, 80; Gothic Man, 78; 106; 106; Olga, 106; Reclining Nude 70; Hand with Spikes, 78; Head, 80; I, 40, 9 1-2, 96; 84; Reclining Nude Il, Head in Thought, 80; Large Maternity, 99-100; 95; Reclining Nude Ill, 76; 67; Large Standing Figure, 82; 73; 99-100; 96; Seated Blue Nude I-IV, Mask of an Adolescent, 80; Mask, 102-06; 101-104; The Serf, 9,12-13, Light and Shade, 80; Montserrat, 78; 88; 3; The Serpentine, 40, 91-4;

172 86; Standing Blue Nude, 106; Study Rietveld, Gerrit Thomas, II6-17, 124- of a Foot, 88; The Tiara, 98; Torso 8, 135; Aluminium Chair, 127; Chair, with Head (La Vie), 106; Two with Leather Straps and Steel Frame, Negresses, 40, 91 - 2, 96 ; 85; Upright 128 ; Plywood Chair, 129; Red-Blue Nude, 106 Chair, 124, 126; 126; Schroder House Michelangelo Buonarroti, 18, 23 , II2 ; Utrecht, I26; , Creation of Man, 29i Dying Slave, 25 , Rilke, Rainer Maria, 9-10, 12, 13, 21 , 12 ; Pieta, 28- 9 23, 108 Millet, Jean-Franc,;ois, 17 Rodin, Auguste, 9-12, 15-40, 41, 42-3, modernism, IS, 19-20, 30, 107 45, 58, 85, 86-7, 88, 98- 9, 102, 108- Monet, Claude, IS, 16, 17- 18, 150--1 14, 126, 13 1, 146-50, 152- 4, 158; Adam, 27, 28-9, 35, 154; 15; The naturalism : in Brancusi, I I I; in Degas, Age of Bronze, IS, 16, 17, 19, 23-8, 158; in Rodin, 23, 25, 27- 8, 30, 35 , 30,37, 108, 145, 154; 6; Aurora, 112, 37, 145 112; Belle Heaulmiere, 35; Brother and neo-c1assicism, IS Sister, 22 ; Burghers of Calais, 22, 30, New York, 120 31,35,108,147-9, ISO; 142; The Call to Arms, 27, 28; 14; Crouching Paris, 9, 42, 44, 58,60,75, 86, 87, 110, Woman, 31-5, 147; 18; Cupid and 120, 121, 130, 137; Exposition Uni­ Psyche, 22 ; Danaids, 22 ; Dance Move­ verselle (1900), 10; Musee d'Art ment, 22, 37-40; 25- 32; The Eternal Moderne, 137; Opera, IS; and see Idol, 30; Eternal Spring, 30; 17; Eve, Beaux-Arts, Petite Ecole, Salon, 35, 147; 14 0 ; Flying Figure, 22, 35, Salon d'Automne 109; 23; The Gates of Hell, 22, 29-30, Petite Ecole, 16 31, 35, 137; Head of Iris, 22, 109, Picasso, Pablo, 9, SI, 59-74, 75- 6, 81, II4; 107; Iris, Messenger of the Gods, 82,83 , 85,94, 107,120,121; Construc­ 35 , 109; 24; The Kiss, 30; Man with tion in Wire, 72, 76; 63; drawings for the Broken Nose, 10; Mask of the Le Chif d' a:uvre inconnu, 72; 66; Les Man with the Broken Nose, 2 I ; 9 ; Demoiselles d' Avignon, 59, 63 ; Female Meditation, 147; Monument to Balzac, Nude (1910), 65; 55 ; Figure (1930--32) , 10, 22, 147-9, ISO; 143; Nude 72 ; 64; Glass and Dice (1914), 67; 58; Balzac Study C, 141; Nude Balzac Glass, Bottle and Guitar (1912), 56; Study F, 12; 1; The Prodigal Son, Glass of Absinth, 68; Glass, Pipe and 31-5,40,147; 19; StJohn the Baptist, Playing-card, 60; Guitar (1914), 59; 22, 27, 28, 29, 145; 13; studies for the Head of a Woman (1909), 94; Houses Monument to Balzac, 12, 37, 88, 108, on a Hill, 63-4; 52; Musical Instru­ 147; 1, 141; Study for Jean d'Aire, ment (1914), 59, 70; 51 ; Still-life 35, 158; 20; The Thinker, 35; with Fringe, 70--1; 61; Woman in Thought, I I2; The Three Shades, Garden, 72; 62; Woman's Head (1931) , 29-30; 16; Torso of Ade!e, 35; 21; Torso of a Seated Woman Clasping 72 ; 65 Pissarro, Camille, IS, 17, 15 1 her Left Leg, 35; 22; Victor Hugo, 22; Preault, Antoine Auguste, IS, 17,20 The Walking Man, 22, 29, 37, 88, 109, 145 , 139 realism, 17 Romania, 41-2, SI, 129-30; 33 Renaissance, IS, 18, 19, 23, 27, 31-3, Romanticism, IS, 17, 20, 23, 107-08, 85 , 94, 145, 15 2 158 Renoir, Pierre Auguste, IS, 16, 17, 18, Rome, 17 85, 151 Rosso, Medardo, 22, 108

173 Rousseau, Henri (Douanier), 15 Stijl, De, 126 Rude, Franc;ois, 20, 23, 28; Marseillaise, Symbolism, 23 20,28 Tatlin, Vladimir, II6-17, 121-4, 126-7; Corner Relief, 123; Letatlin, 1 2 3-4; Salon (Paris), 17, 22-3, 23-4, 30, 15 1, 125; Monument to the Third Inter­ (1865), 19, (1877), 15, 17 national, 123-4; 124 Salon d' Automne (Paris), 42 Tinerimea Artistica, 130 Seurat, Georges, 56, 94 Tirgu Jiu, 53, 129-43, 149-50 Sisley, Alfred, 15 Smith, David, 81, 82-3, 121, 154-7; Utrecht, Schroder House, 126 Australia, 152; Sentinel Ill, 75; 25 Planes, 74 Valery, Paul, 12 Soviet Union, 1 2 3 Van Gogh, Vincent, 94 Steichen, Edward, 13 8

174