Torso 1963

This is Ossip Zadkine's "Torso," carved from wood. You can see the marks of the artist's tools all over the sculpture. It's like Zadkine was in conversation with the wood, coaxing out this form, little by little. I can imagine him circling the wood, feeling the weight and heft of it, figuring out where to start. Maybe he began with bold, decisive cuts, carving away the excess, slowly revealing the shape within. Then, finer, more delicate touches, smoothing the surface, refining the contours, and bringing the form to life. The legs are thick, planted firmly on the earth, while the torso seems to twist and turn, full of movement and energy. The surface is smooth, almost polished, but you can still see the grain of the wood running through it like veins. It's like Zadkine wanted to honor the material, to let its natural beauty shine through. It makes me think of works by artists like Barbara Hepworth or Henry Moore, always finding new ways to depict the human form. Artists keep exchanging and building on each other’s ideas. What they create is so alive.