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Abstract bronze sculpture with arms and legs on a marble base.
sculpture (visual work)
bronze (metal)
casting (process)
marble (rock)
Sculpture
Sculpture
This model of a bronze sculpture that was commissioned for outside the John Fitzgerald Kennedy government building in downtown Boston, was a gift from the artist to Walter Gropius whose architectural firm the Architects Collaborative designed the building. Named after the battle between Spartans and Persians in 480 BC, this quasi-abstract work integrates American sculptor Dimitri Hadzi's interests in myth, history, and armor. Hadzi has also stated that the sculpture was inspired in part by John F. Kennedy's book Profiles in Courage, which features the stories of eight US Senators who remained committed to their ideals despite great opposition. In general, though, Hadzi's work is known not for its thematic content but for its craftsmanship and formal properties. Through his use of heavy bronze protrusions, and through the sculpture's open composition, Hadzi emphasizes the contrast between dense volume and empty space.
Gropius, Walter, 1883-1969
Original to Gropius House (Lincoln, Mass.),
Hadzi, Dmitri (Artist)
USA
11 3/4 x 8 15/16 x 7 1/2 (HxWxD) (inches)
Bequest of Ise Gropius
1984.44
Title Photograph Accession Number 1984.219
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