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Hephaestus


Leonard Baskin, Hephaestus, 1963, wood, Museum Purchase: Funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and Anonymous Donors, © The Estate of Leonard Baskin; Courtesy Galerie St. Etienne, New York, 69.36

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Details
Title

Hephaestus

Artist

Leonard Baskin (American, 1922-2000)

Date

1963

Medium

wood

Dimensions (H x W x D)

46 1/4 in x 21 in x 21 in

Inscriptions & Markings

signature/maker's mark: signed and dated (carved on back of base at left): L.b. '63

Collection Area

Modern and Contemporary Art

Category

Sculpture

Object Type

sculpture

Culture

American

Credit Line

Museum Purchase: Funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and Anonymous Donors

Accession Number

69.36

Copyright

© The Estate of Leonard Baskin; Courtesy Galerie St. Etienne, New York

Terms

sculpture

Vulcan

wood

Description

The son of a rabbi, Leonard Baskin’s education at yeshiva (Jewish religious college) had a profound effect on his aesthetic. Besides sculpting, he was a writer, book illustrator, water-colorist, and print-maker.

Baskin became intrigued by Greek history, philosophy, and mythology at an early age and this study inspired many of his sculptures and paintings, including Hephaestus. The son of Zeus and Hera, Hephaestus was the god of fire, metalworking, stone masonry, and the art of sculpture.

History
Exhibitions

1995 Hard Choices: Works from the Permanent Collection Portland Art Museum

2007 Clear Cut Portland Art Museum

2015 Paradise: Fallen Fruit Portland Art Museum

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