Archaic Figure (Goddess from the Great Beyond)

Accession Number
1996/2.11

Title
Archaic Figure (Goddess from the Great Beyond)

Artist(s)
Louise Nevelson

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1953-1955

Medium & Support
etching on beige wove paper

Dimensions
15 3/4 in. x 11 1/2 in. ( 40 cm x 29.2 cm )

Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by a gift from Helmut Stern

Subject matter
Archaic Figure, also titled Goddess from the Great Beyond, depicts a woman with wide, narrow eyes and a long face. This print is from 1952 which was two years after Louise Nevelson took a trip to Central America. It was there that she became interested in the spiritual world and the forms and symbols of Mayan culture. This imagery influenced much of her ensuing work so it is possible that this Goddess was also inspired by her journey. 

This print is visually similar to three other Louise Nevelson prints in UMMA's collection, all with the same title.

Physical Description
A print of an abstracted woman. The woman has a long inverted triangle shape for her face and large elliptical eyes. She has a round bust, thin waist, and wide hips. Her arms are folded behind her back but appear to be very long. Various portions of the body are shaded.
 

Primary Object Classification
Print

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
Abstract (fine arts style)
Surrealism
goddesses
modern and contemporary art
spirits (beings)
women (female humans)

1 Related Resource

Art of interest to Judaic Studies
(Part of 3 Learning Collections)

& Author Notes

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