GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Though its subject comes from Greek mythology, William Zorach's Demeter represents the modern sculptural movement toward simplicity. The stylized female portrait sits atop a dark marble base and draws attention to the contrast between the two types of stone. As a teacher at the Art Students League from 1929 to 1960, Zorach pushed students to consider the inherent qualities of their materials and practice the technique of direct carving.
William Zorach immigrated from Lithuania in 1891. He spent his childhood in Cleveland, Ohio and studied at the Cleveland School of Art. As a young man Zorach received further training at the National Academy of Design (1908) and moved to Paris in 1910. After exhibiting Fauvist watercolors in the Salon d'Automne (1911, Paris) and the Armory Show (1913, New York, NY), Zorach began sculpting full time in 1922. His early commissions include a statue of Benjamin Franklin at the United States Post Office in Washington DC, a monumental sculpture Builders of the Future for the New York World's Fair in 1939, and a figure sculpture for Radio City Music Hall in 1933.
Emily Schiller, Digital Collections Content Coordinator, 2016.
NOTES
Made corrections and additions to the exhibition history and published references in TMS.
Removed TMS object tag because rule exists.
Added artist geography-
Artist born (geography)- Jurbarkas, Lithuania
raised- Cleveland, OH
trained- Cleveland Institute of Art
trained- Paris
Worked- NYC- teacher at ASL 1929-1960
death- Bath, Maine
EXHIBITIONS:
Dallas Museum of Fine Arts. An Exhibition of Contemporary Paintings & Sculpture, Pamphlet, 1945; (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth183319/ : accessed March 06, 2015), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas , Texas.
Added object number in Piction.
Dallas Museum of Fine Arts. [Announcement for William Zorach: Sculpture and Watercolors exhibition]. Dallas, Texas. The Portal to Texas History. http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth225393/. Accessed March 6, 2015. William Zorach: Sculpture and Watercolors; 10473: Exh ID; 12058172: UMO
Added object number in Piction.
Did not resolve mystery of these two exhibitions and whether this work was officially part of either of the 1945 shows. "William Zorach: Sculpture and Watercolors" is in Piction but not TMS. (1/19/2017) Deleted both %UMOpending and %exhibitionspending tags.
This draft was routed and revised by Sue in October 2016. I have transfered those changes and am moving the GDoc to Queta's folder in GDrive.
After verifying revisions visible in GDrive, I removed routed tag and added completed tag- 1/24/2017.
Other Label Text from TAZ/Confluence (9/13/18)
Born in Lithuania, William Zorach emigrated to America and settled in Cleveland, Ohio in 1894. He began his artistic career as a lithographer's apprentice, studying at the Cleveland School of Art at nights, experimenting with paint and watercolor until he settled in the subtractive approach to sculpture, Demeter embodies a modern sculptural movement toward simplicity. The light, stylized stone bust sits atop a dark marble base, creating a contrast not only between the two types of stone, but also between organic and synthetic shapes.
In 1947 the American Artists Group published Zorach's manual and manifesto on his sculptural practices. In it, Zorach details how best to approach a raw material for direct carving—a then unconventional sculptural method, which favored artistic spontanaeity and creativity. A true practicioner of this approach, Zorach worked directly on a piece of wood or stone, foregoing a model, cast, or preliminary design. As an instructor and practicing artist, Zorach encouraged his students to value and respect the inherent qualities of their materials, knowing a harmonious balance could be struck between the sculptor's chisel and the surface of the carving matrix.
Born in Lithuania, William Zorach emigrated to America an
d settled in Cleveland, Ohio in 1894.
He began his artistic career as a lithographer
’
s apprentice, studying at the Cleveland School of
Art at nights, experimenting with paint and watercolor unt
il he settled in the subtractive approach
to sculpture
.
Demeter
embodies a modern sculptural movement toward simplicity.
The light,
stylized stone bust sits atop a dark marble base, creating a
contrast not only between the two
types of stone, but also between organic and synthetic shape
s.
In 1947 the American Artists Group published Zorach
’
s manual and manifesto on his sculptural
practices. In it, Zorach details how best to approach a
raw material for direct carving
—
a then
unconventional sculptural method, which favored artistic spo
ntaneity and creativity. A true
practitioner of this approach, Zorach worked directly on a
piece of wood or stone, foregoing a
model, cast, or preliminary design. As an instructor and practi
cing artist, Zorach encouraged his
students to value and respect the inherent qualities of thei
r materials, knowing a harmonious
balance could be struck between the sculptor
’
s chisel and the surface of the carving matrix.
Catalogue essays specific to object
Artist/designers
William Zorach
Cultures
Geography
Produced-New York, NY
Process/materials
marble
granite
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
myth
sculpture
mythical beings
mythology
teacher
head
woman
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
1945: Downtown Gallery, New York, NY [1]
From 1945: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, purchased by the Dallas Art Association from above. [2]
[1] Downtown Gallery given as the lender of "Demeter" (cat. no. 60) for "An Exhibition of Contemporary Paintings and Sculpture" at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, 1945.
[2] The name of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1933, changed to the Dallas Museum of Art in 1983.
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
WEB RESOURCES
William & Marguerite Zorach~See examples of both artist's work, exhibitions featuring their works, biographical essays, and additional resources provided by Zorach Collection L.L.C.
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
Object file contains photocopies of a series of letters exchanged between William Zorach and Mr. Howard in April 1936 to April 1937 regarding an unrealized commission for a pioneer woman sculpture. The letters were sent to Roberta Tarbell for her catalogue raisonné on Zorach in 1974.
200X.16- Photos, Box 42- Folder 49- Bywaters admiring Demeter (1945.15).
William Zorach demonstrating sculpture for a children's class in the Museum School.
Object number added in Piction. 259241154: UMO
Sculpture class in Museum School, led by sculptor William Zorach. (TWO COPIES IN PICTION. MARKED BOTH with object number and NR.)
Object numbers added to Piction.
FUN FACTS
- Demeter was included in a contemporary art exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts in 1945. For one week during the exhibition, William Zorach acted as a Visiting Artist. He gave lectures and three demonstrations of modeling and carving to museum supporters and local artists. The week was billed as "an event of unusual interest" and likely resulted in Zorach donating his demonstration piece Head (1945.34) to the Museum's permanent collection.
- Zorach taught many other artists represented in the DMA collection. These include Bess Bigham Hubbard (1947.36), Lee Bontecou (1963.22.FA), and Dorothy Austin (1994.174; 1933.22; 2001.47).
- Prior to visiting Dallas in 1945, William Zorach's connection to the city came from exhibiting four watercolor landscapes in a Dallas Art Association exhibition in 1922 and discussing the possibility of a public monument to pioneers in 1936.
- William Zorach married Marguerite Thompson in 1912. His wife was an accomplished painter and textile designer, and an equally beloved and influential teacher at the Art Students League.
TEACHING IDEAS
RULES
Apply to objects where number equals 1945.14
Category
rules_operator
AND
General Description
Though its subject comes from Greek mythology, William Zorach's Demeter represents the modern sculptural movement toward simplicity. The stylized female portrait sits atop a dark marble base and draws attention to the contrast between the two types of stone. As a teacher at the Art Students League from 1929 to 1960, Zorach pushed students to consider the inherent qualities of their materials and practice the technique of direct carving.
William Zorach immigrated from Lithuania in 1891. He spent his childhood in Cleveland, Ohio and studied at the Cleveland School of Art. As a young man Zorach received further training at the National Academy of Design (1908) and moved to Paris in 1910. After exhibiting Fauvist watercolors in the Salon d'Automne (1911, Paris) and the Armory Show (1913, New York, NY), Zorach began sculpting full time in 1922. His early commissions include a statue of Benjamin Franklin at the United States Post Office in Washington DC, a monumental sculpture Builders of the Future for the New York World's Fair in 1939, and a figure sculpture for Radio City Music Hall in 1933.
Emily Schiller, Digital Collections Content Coordinator, 2016.
Fun Facts
- Demeter was included in a contemporary art exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts in 1945. For one week during the exhibition, William Zorach acted as a Visiting Artist. He gave lectures and three demonstrations of modeling and carving to museum supporters and local artists. The week was billed as "an event of unusual interest" and likely resulted in Zorach donating his demonstration piece Head (1945.34) to the Museum's permanent collection.
- Zorach taught many other artists represented in the DMA collection. These include Bess Bigham Hubbard (1947.36), Lee Bontecou (1963.22.FA), and Dorothy Austin (1994.174; 1933.22; 2001.47).
- Prior to visiting Dallas in 1945, William Zorach's connection to the city came from exhibiting four watercolor landscapes in a Dallas Art Association exhibition in 1922 and discussing the possibility of a public monument to pioneers in 1936.
- William Zorach married Marguerite Thompson in 1912. His wife was an accomplished painter and textile designer, and an equally beloved and influential teacher at the Art Students League.
Archival Resources
Object file contains photocopies of a series of letters exchanged between William Zorach and Mr. Howard in April 1936 to April 1937 regarding an unrealized commission for a pioneer woman sculpture. The letters were sent to Roberta Tarbell for her catalogue raisonné on Zorach in 1974.
200X.16- Photos, Box 42- Folder 49- Bywaters admiring Demeter (1945.15).
William Zorach demonstrating sculpture for a children's class in the Museum School.
Object number added in Piction. 259241154: UMO
Sculpture class in Museum School, led by sculptor William Zorach. (TWO COPIES IN PICTION. MARKED BOTH with object number and NR.)
Object numbers added to Piction.
Web Resources
William & Marguerite Zorach~See examples of both artist's work, exhibitions featuring their works, biographical essays, and additional resources provided by Zorach Collection L.L.C.
Notes
Made corrections and additions to the exhibition history and published references in TMS.
Removed TMS object tag because rule exists.
Added artist geography-
Artist born (geography)- Jurbarkas, Lithuania
raised- Cleveland, OH
trained- Cleveland Institute of Art
trained- Paris
Worked- NYC- teacher at ASL 1929-1960
death- Bath, Maine
EXHIBITIONS:
Dallas Museum of Fine Arts. An Exhibition of Contemporary Paintings & Sculpture, Pamphlet, 1945; (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth183319/ : accessed March 06, 2015), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas , Texas.
Added object number in Piction.
Dallas Museum of Fine Arts. [Announcement for William Zorach: Sculpture and Watercolors exhibition]. Dallas, Texas. The Portal to Texas History. http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth225393/. Accessed March 6, 2015. William Zorach: Sculpture and Watercolors; 10473: Exh ID; 12058172: UMO
Added object number in Piction.
Did not resolve mystery of these two exhibitions and whether this work was officially part of either of the 1945 shows. "William Zorach: Sculpture and Watercolors" is in Piction but not TMS. (1/19/2017) Deleted both %UMOpending and %exhibitionspending tags.
This draft was routed and revised by Sue in October 2016. I have transfered those changes and am moving the GDoc to Queta's folder in GDrive.
After verifying revisions visible in GDrive, I removed routed tag and added completed tag- 1/24/2017.
Other Label Text from TAZ/Confluence (9/13/18)
Born in Lithuania, William Zorach emigrated to America and settled in Cleveland, Ohio in 1894. He began his artistic career as a lithographer's apprentice, studying at the Cleveland School of Art at nights, experimenting with paint and watercolor until he settled in the subtractive approach to sculpture, Demeter embodies a modern sculptural movement toward simplicity. The light, stylized stone bust sits atop a dark marble base, creating a contrast not only between the two types of stone, but also between organic and synthetic shapes.
In 1947 the American Artists Group published Zorach's manual and manifesto on his sculptural practices. In it, Zorach details how best to approach a raw material for direct carving—a then unconventional sculptural method, which favored artistic spontanaeity and creativity. A true practicioner of this approach, Zorach worked directly on a piece of wood or stone, foregoing a model, cast, or preliminary design. As an instructor and practicing artist, Zorach encouraged his students to value and respect the inherent qualities of their materials, knowing a harmonious balance could be struck between the sculptor's chisel and the surface of the carving matrix.
Born in Lithuania, William Zorach emigrated to America an
d settled in Cleveland, Ohio in 1894.
He began his artistic career as a lithographer
’
s apprentice, studying at the Cleveland School of
Art at nights, experimenting with paint and watercolor unt
il he settled in the subtractive approach
to sculpture
.
Demeter
embodies a modern sculptural movement toward simplicity.
The light,
stylized stone bust sits atop a dark marble base, creating a
contrast not only between the two
types of stone, but also between organic and synthetic shape
s.
In 1947 the American Artists Group published Zorach
’
s manual and manifesto on his sculptural
practices. In it, Zorach details how best to approach a
raw material for direct carving
—
a then
unconventional sculptural method, which favored artistic spo
ntaneity and creativity. A true
practitioner of this approach, Zorach worked directly on a
piece of wood or stone, foregoing a
model, cast, or preliminary design. As an instructor and practi
cing artist, Zorach encouraged his
students to value and respect the inherent qualities of thei
r materials, knowing a harmonious
balance could be struck between the sculptor
’
s chisel and the surface of the carving matrix.
Catalogue essays specific to object
Artist/designers
William Zorach
Cultures
Geography
Produced-New York, NY
Process/materials
marble
granite
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
myth
sculpture
mythical beings
mythology
teacher
head
woman
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
1945: Downtown Gallery, New York, NY [1]
From 1945: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, purchased by the Dallas Art Association from above. [2]
[1] Downtown Gallery given as the lender of "Demeter" (cat. no. 60) for "An Exhibition of Contemporary Paintings and Sculpture" at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, 1945.
[2] The name of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1933, changed to the Dallas Museum of Art in 1983.
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
1945.14
source file
object_notes_2_d-0065.xml.nores