Dimensions: object: 673 x 203 x 203 mm, 32.6 kg
Copyright: © The estate of Frank Dobson | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: This marble torso is by Frank Dobson. The smooth surface and simplified form remind me of classical sculptures. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Consider how the absent limbs evoke fragments of antiquity, hinting at ideals of beauty, strength, and even vulnerability lost to time. Can you feel the psychological weight of cultural memory embedded in this form? Editor: I see it now; it's like a ghost of classical sculpture. Curator: Exactly. Dobson uses a modern sensibility to create a visual echo of classical ideals. It resonates with emotional and historical significance. Editor: Thanks, I'm finding new layers in this sculpture. Curator: Indeed, exploring its symbolic dimensions adds depth to our understanding.
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Dobson always looked to the human form, mostly naked and female, for his source material, and always worked from life. He began his artistic career in 1914 as a painter and it was only around 1919 that he turned his attention to sculpture. Torso, with its simplified form and flowing lines, was no doubt the result of his study of ancient Egyptian, Assyrian, Peruvian and African art in the British Museum, and his interest in the principles of Cubism. These were the key influences that first inspired him to make sculpture. Gallery label, August 2004
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