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