Author(s): Penelope Curtis

Art

One of a series exploring the lives and work of major artists associated with St Ives, this is a study of Barbara Hepworth and her work as a sculptor, which spanned five decades. Her art is discussed in the light of her contemporaries, including Henry Moore and Ben Nicholson, her second husband. Hepworth's style developed from figurative to geometric to abstract, culminating in the grandeur of her large-scale post-war work. Her best-known work is associated with the landscape around St Ives, where she lived for most of her working life. She remains a central figure in 20th-century art, and the book provides an overview of recent critical thought, and describes how her international reputation was built and sustained.