The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 22, 2025

Tall and narrow sculpture of an abstract, elongated figure, made from geometric pieces of black ebony and pale brown oak. The lower third supports the statue with wood curved like two bent legs. In the upper two thirds is an elongated face with a block nose and mouth and eye-like outline carved on the side.

Detachable Figure (Dancer)

1915

Jacques Lipchitz

(French, born in Lithuania, 1891–1973)
France, 20th century
ebony and oak
Overall: 98.1 cm (38 5/8 in.)
Gift of Mrs. Aye Simon 1972.367
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.
  • -1972
    Mrs. Aye Simon [1902-1992], New York, NY, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1972-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 243 archive.org
    Henning, Edward B. Creativity in Art and Science, 1860-1960. [Cleveland, Ohio]: Published by the Cleveland Museum of Art in cooperation with Indiana University Press, 1987. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 115, no. 23
    Cleveland Museum of Art. The CMA Companion: A Guide to the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2014. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 296
  • Monet to Dalí: Modern Masters from the Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 21, 2007-January 13, 2008).
    Creativity in Art and Science, 1860-1960. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 16-November 8, 1987).
    Images of the Mind. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 7-August 30, 1987).
    The Planar Dimension: Europe 1912 - 1931. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY (organizer) (March 9-May 6, 1979).
    Traditions and Revisions: Themes from the History of Sculpture. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 24-November 16, 1975).
    Year in Review: 1972. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 27-March 18, 1973).
  • {{cite web|title=Detachable Figure (Dancer)|url=false|author=Jacques Lipchitz|year=1915|access-date=22 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1972.367