Barbara Hepworth : a pictorial autobiography

by Barbara Hepworth

Yorkshire by birth, resident of St Ives, Cornwall, for more than 30 years, scholarship student at the Royal College of Art at the age of 16, mother of triplets, Honorary Doctor of Letters of five universities, Cornish bard, Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and world-famous such was Barbara Hepworth, whose life always revolved around the demands of her creative work. This book presents a pictorial record of her life, work and writings over 40 years, from her childhood years to her first marriage to the sculptor John Skeaping and her second marriage to Ben Nicholson; and from figuration through geometric and organic abstraction to the internationally acclaimed grandeur of her large-scale, post-war work.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Biography

136 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1986

About the author

People best know Single Form (Memorial to Dag Hammarskjöld) of British sculptor Dame Barbara Hepworth at the plaza of the United Nations in New York City.

Work of Jocelyn Barbara Hepworth, an English artist of the empire, exemplifies modernism in particular. She of the few female artists of her generation achieved international prominence. Alongside artists, such as Ben Nicholson and Naum Gabo, Hepworth led a figure in the colony of artists, who resided in Saint Ives during the Second World War.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara...

Reviews

[Alli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I have ever read, seriously. It is Hepworth's own autobiography, but she interjects her own personal snapshots. It's like a published scrapbook, but without all the frills. I love it and have cited it over 50 times, at least, in my first chapter. :)

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for an essay. It's incredibly short on text, but Hepworth's discussions of her sculptural technique are invaluable for understanding her work.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful way to introduce your self to Hepworths work.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stone me what a great introduction to Barbara. We need more of her kind.

[Michelle Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating piece of art history about a prolific and talented artist and sculptor.

[Sarah Phenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Form & landscape, the meaning of gesture and the structure of rhythm. Glad this one has Barbara’s words 🤍

[Liz W · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring read. Rather than it being a continuous narrative it is, as Alli below states, snapshots. She intersperses personal and professional milestones with her own musings on working as an artist and creativity. The pictures are intimate and fascinating.

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb. Fascinating woman. She was mother to triplets in the 1930s - and was producing work. Ben Nicholson was her husband, which I didn't know. What a household that must have been.