Dimensions: object: 247 x 349 x 184 mm
Copyright: © The estate of Jacques Lipchitz, courtesy, Marlborough Gallery, New York | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: This is "Jacob and the Angel," a plaster sculpture by Jacques Lipchitz. The forms seem to be intertwined, locked in a struggle. What do you see in the tension between these figures? Curator: The dynamism resides in the interplay of positive and negative space. Notice how the figures’ limbs create openings, voids that are as crucial as the solid forms in conveying the wrestling match. The rough texture of the plaster enhances this feeling of raw energy. Editor: So, the lack of smooth surfaces contributes to the sense of conflict? Curator: Precisely. The sculpture invites us to consider the formal relationships as symbolic. It is through those forms that Lipchitz communicates the essence of the biblical struggle. Editor: I see, it’s a battle articulated in form, not just narrative.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/lipchitz-jacob-and-the-angel-t03516
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Two figures engaged in a struggle or embrace often feature in Lipchitz's work of the 1930s. For the artist they represent creative as well as moral difficulties. Here, the figures are taken from the Biblical story of Jacob's dream of wrestling with the Angel. Lipchitz was intrigued by the story because Jacob fought even though he could not hope to overcome an angel. He remarked that 'the Lord rewarded him [and] ... this meant that God wants us to fight with him.' Gallery label, March 2001
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