Dimensions: object: 155 x 184 x 105 mm
Copyright: © The estate of Jacques Lipchitz, courtesy, Marlborough Gallery, New York | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: This is Jacques Lipchitz’s small sculpture, Hagar. It resides here at the Tate. Editor: The distressed surface and restricted palette give it a mournful air. It feels small but heavy. Curator: The subject, Hagar, is an Egyptian slave in the Old Testament who is cast out into the desert with her son. The upward thrust of the white arm suggests her desperate plea. Editor: The contrast between the smooth upward curve and the rough, earthy textures elsewhere is very striking. It isolates that gesture of supplication. Curator: Yes, and considers the historical narrative in which those who are displaced find themselves in dire circumstances. Editor: The sculpture is an exercise in contrasts: smooth and rough, light and dark, reaching and collapsing. Lipchitz has condensed intense emotion into a tiny space. Curator: A powerful reminder that even small forms can carry immense stories. Editor: Indeed, it proves how material manipulation can evoke profound feeling.
Comments
Join the conversation
Join millions of artists and users on Artera today and experience the ultimate creative platform.
Lipchitz made this plaster model in 1948, in response to the founding of the state of Israel. In the Old Testament, Hagar is the mother of Abraham's illegitimate son Ishmael. Both mother and son are depicted here. Hagar and Ishmael are exiled by Abraham’s wife Sarah, mother of Isaac. Drawing on biblical interpretations, here Lipchitz associates Ishmael with Islam and Isaac with Judaism. He depicts Hagar and Ishmael in exile as ‘a prayer for brotherhood between the Jews and the Arabs. It is a concept which combines tragedy and suffering with tenderness and hope for the future.’ Gallery label, February 2024
CollectMore like this
