Barbara Hepworth

Date of Birth: January 10, 1903

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn

Date of Death: May 20, 1975

Biography

Dame Jocelyn Barbara Hepworth was an influential English artist and sculptor, born on January 10, 1903, in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. She is best known for her pioneering modernist abstract works, which often focused on the relationship between mass and space. Hepworth attended the Leeds School of Art from 1920 to 1921, where she met fellow sculptor Henry Moore. She continued her studies at the Royal College of Art in London from 1921 to 1924. Hepworth’s early work was influenced by direct carving, a technique she learned from sculptor John Skeaping, whom she married in 1925. However, her style evolved significantly over the decades, incorporating more abstract and organic forms. She divorced Skeaping in 1933 and later married painter Ben Nicholson in 1938, with whom she had three children. During World War II, Hepworth moved to St Ives in Cornwall, which became a major center for modern and abstract art. Her work gained international acclaim, and she exhibited extensively around the world. In 1965, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her contributions to art. Hepworth continued to work prolifically until her death in a fire at her studio in St Ives on May 20, 1975. Her legacy lives on through her groundbreaking sculptures and the Barbara Hepworth Museum, which is located in her former studio and garden in St Ives.

5 Interesting Facts about Barbara Hepworth

1. Barbara Hepworth was one of the leading figures in the modernist movement in Britain.

2. She was the first female sculptor to achieve international recognition.

3. Hepworth was deeply influenced by the landscape of Cornwall, where she lived and worked from 1939 until her death.

4. She was awarded the Grand Prix at the 1959 São Paulo Biennale.

5. Hepworth’s work often explored themes of motherhood and family, inspired by her own experiences as a mother.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Barbara Hepworth

1. “I think every sculpture must be touched. It is part of the way you make it, and it’s really our first sensibility.”

2. “Sculpture is a three-dimensional object, and it should be looked at from all sides and angles.”

3. “The forms and shapes which I have made have always related to what I have seen and felt in the landscape.”

4. “I felt the most intense pleasure in having a piece of stone in my hand and carving it.”

5. “I rarely draw what I see. I draw what I feel in my body.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

At the time of her death in 1975, Barbara Hepworth’s estimated net worth was approximately $5 million (adjusted for inflation).

Children

Barbara Hepworth had four children: 1. Paul Skeaping (born 1929) – her son with John Skeaping, who tragically died in a plane crash in 1953. 2. Simon Nicholson (born 1934) – her son with Ben Nicholson, who became an artist and educator. 3. Rachel Nicholson (born 1934) – her daughter with Ben Nicholson, who is also an artist. 4. Sarah Nicholson (born 1934) – her daughter with Ben Nicholson, who pursued a career in medicine.