Detachable Figure (Dancer)

1915

Jacques Lipchitz

(French, born in Lithuania, 1891–1973)

Culture

France, 20th century

Medium

ebony and oak

Measurements

Overall: 98.1 cm (38 5/8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Mrs. Aye Simon 1972.367

This artwork is known to be under copyright.

Location

223 20th Century Avant-Garde

Did You Know?

Inspired by artists Picasso and Braque, Lipchitz adapted their innovations in painting to sculpture. His series of Detachable Figures were made with solid blocks of material to simulate the geometric shapes of his friends' paintings. Born in Lithuania, then part of Russia, Lipchitz belonged to a circle of prominent Jewish artists active in the School of Paris that included Amedeo Modigliani and Chaïm Soutine.

Description

Jacques Lipchitz began making Cubist sculptures in 1915 and created several jointed or “detachable” wood sculptures that mimicked everyday objects and appeared as if they could be reassembled or interchanged. Although this sculpture might initially seem abstract, a face with an eye, an upraised arm, an elongated torso, and curvy, kicking legs are recognizable. Lipchitz was born into a Jewish family in Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire. At 18, he moved to Paris and established friendships with avant-garde artists such as Pablo Picasso and Amedeo Modigliani.