You are currently viewing Brookgreen Gardens, June 2020: part 6

Brookgreen Gardens, June 2020: part 6

I’ve posted on Brookgreen Gardens before (see here), cropping the photos to show just the sculptures. But one of the marvelous features of Brookgreen is that many of the sculptures have a small garden or another area specifically designed to set them off. In this series of posts, with photos taken in early June when the gardens were full of flowers, I’m trying to give a sense of those gorgeous settings.

Ex Nihilo, Fragment #14, 1977-1979

Frederick Hart (1943-1999) is best known for his Creation at Washington National Cathedral (Ex Nihilo is a fragment of that) and for Three Soldiers, one of the representative elements at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Frederick Hart, Ex Nihilo, Fragment #14, 1977-1979. Photo copyright © 2020 Dianne L. Durante
Frederick Hart, Ex Nihilo, Fragment #14, 1977-1979. Photo copyright © 2020 Dianne L. Durante

Builders of the Future, 1938

William Zorach (1887-1966, born in Lithuania) and his wife, Marguerite Thompson (1887-1968), were heavily influenced by Cubism and Fauvism. Both had works on display at the 1913 Armory Show in New York. Zorach eventually switched from painting to sculpture. The block-like composition of this piece is very reminiscent of the sculptures at the Bronx County Courthouse (161st Street & Grand Concourse). Those were completed in 1934 by a group of artists, including Adolph A. Weinman (more on him below). Robin Salmon notes in Brookgreen Gardens Sculpture that this is a cast of a quarter-size model for a work displayed at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, whose slogan as “Building the World of Tomorrow.” The pyramidal group represents workers, builders, and pioneers.

relief by Zorach representing the law is on the Civil and Municipal Court Building, 111 Centre St., New York.

William Zorach, Builders of the Future, 1938. Photo copyright © 2020 Dianne L. Durante

Susan, 1950

Edward F. Hoffman III (1916-1991), born in Philadelphia, based the pose of this child on sketches of his one-year-old daughter. I find this one very endearing.

Edward F. Hoffman III, Susan, 1950. Photo copyright © 2020 Dianne L. Durante
Edward F. Hoffman III, Susan, 1950. Photo copyright © 2020 Dianne L. Durante
Edward F. Hoffman III, Susan, 1950. Photo copyright © 2020 Dianne L. Durante

“I am the captain of my soul,” ca. 1920

The title is from William Ernest Henley’s “Invictus,” one of my favorite poems … so I really wanted to like the sculpture. Alas, I find all those flapping wings too confusing. It’s by Alice Morgan Wright (1881-1975), a native of Albany, NY.

Alice Morgan Wright, “I am the captain of my soul,” ca. 1920. Photo copyright © 2020 Dianne L. Durante
Alice Morgan Wright, “I am the captain of my soul,” ca. 1920. Photo copyright © 2020 Dianne L. Durante
Alice Morgan Wright, “I am the captain of my soul,” ca. 1920. Photo copyright © 2020 Dianne L. Durante

Duet, 1924

This charming, light-hearted mythological work is not the usual style of Adolph A. Weinman (1870-1952). In New York, he sculpted Samuel Rea at Penn Station, Civic Fame on the Municipal Building, Alexander Hamilton at the Museum of the City of New York, and many other works: see the list here.

Adolph A. Weinman, Duet, 1924. Photo copyright © 2020 Dianne L. Durante

Coming of Age, 1995

Paul Moore (b. 1957), born in Oklahoma City, is a citizen of the (Creek) Muscogee Nation, Sweet Potato Clan. He has created dozens of portraits and monuments. I have no idea what ceremony is represented in this sculpture, but the detail and the suggestion of motion are exceptional.

Paul Moore, Coming of Age, 1995. Photo copyright © 2020 Dianne L. Durante

Dance, 1917

Edward Field Sanford, Jr. (1886-1951) was heavily influenced by Paul Manship’s adaptation of the style of Archaic Greece, with its sharp silhouettes and decorative elements. This graceful early work reminds me more of Erté than of Manship. Sanford is known for his architectural sculptures, particularly a large series for the State Capitol in Sacramento, California, in which the influence of Manship is more obvious (here).

Edward Field Sanford, Jr., Dance, 1917.Photo copyright © 2020 Dianne L. Durante
Edward Field Sanford, Jr., Dance, 1917.Photo copyright © 2020 Dianne L. Durante
One of the exits from the covered sculpture gallery to the gardens.

More

  • For more of my posts on Brookgreen, click here. The official site is here.
  • In Getting More Enjoyment from Sculpture You Love, I demonstrate a method for looking at sculptures in detail, in depth, and on your own. Learn to enjoy your favorite sculptures more, and find new favorites. Available on Amazon print and Kindle formats.
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