Barbara Hepworth's 1946 Sculpture with Colour (Eos) Leads Christie's London Sale at £5m–£8m
On 21 October, Christie's London plans to auction Barbara Hepworth's 1946 piece, Sculpture with Colour (Eos), with an estimated value between £5 million and £8 million. This artwork, crafted from Hopton Wood stone, showcases three painted recesses in shades of deep blue, pale grey, and off-white. It stands as one of only three known stone sculptures from 1946 that feature applied color. Previously in the possession of David and Geraldine Pincus, it boasts a significant exhibition history, including Hepworth's inaugural post-war solo exhibition in 1946 and the recent Hepworth in Colour at the Courtauld Gallery. Lee Miller captured Hepworth alongside the sculpture for Vogue. Christie's suggests the colors symbolize dawn, referencing Eos, the Greek goddess. The piece will be displayed until 14 October and again from 17 to 21 October.
Key facts
- Christie's London will auction Barbara Hepworth's Sculpture with Colour (Eos) on 21 October in its Modern British and Irish Art Evening Sale.
- The 1946 sculpture has an estimate of £5m to £8m.
- It is carved from a single block of pale Hopton Wood stone and is one of only three known stone sculptures from 1946 with applied colour.
- The work was formerly in the collection of David and Geraldine Pincus.
- It appeared in Hepworth's first post-war solo show at Lefevre Gallery in 1946, the Whitechapel retrospective in 1954, the Tate retrospective in 1968, the artist's centenary in St Ives in 2003, and Hepworth in Colour at the Courtauld Gallery from June to September this year.
- Lee Miller photographed Hepworth in her studio for Vogue with the sculpture shortly after it was finished.
- Hepworth moved from London to St Ives in 1939 with Ben Nicholson and lived in Carbis Bay from 1942 to 1949.
- The sculpture is on view at Christie's London until 14 October and again from 17 to 21 October.
Entities
Artists
- Barbara Hepworth
- Lee Miller
- Ben Nicholson
- David Pincus
- Geraldine Pincus
- Alice Murray
- Dame Barbara Hepworth
Institutions
- Christie's
- Lefevre Gallery
- Whitechapel Gallery
- Tate
- Courtauld Gallery
- Vogue
- Artlyst
- Tate Barbara Hepworth Museum
- BBC Cornwall
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- St Ives
- Cornwall
- Carbis Bay
- Greece
- Wakefield
- West Yorkshire
- Trewyn Studio