These new sculptures adorn the gardens of the Rijksmuseum

Rarely do they leave their permanent home, but an exception is being made for the gardens of the Rijksmuseum. Until Oct. 23, 2022, statues by British sculptor Barbara Hepworth will be on display here. 

Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975) is considered one of the pioneers of modernism in sculpture, a movement from the early 20th century that breaks with traditions and where innovative forms of expression make their appearance. Characteristic of Hepworth is the breaking of the block of stone with holes. Hepworth is considered a role model for younger generations. In her time, she was one of the few female artists. The exhibition in the Rijksmuseum Gardens is Hepworth's first solo exhibition in Amsterdam.Hepworth drawing on Rosewall, above St. Ives | BBC film Barbara Hepworth directed by John ReadBarbaraHepworth in the Rijksmuseum Gardens provides an overview of her monumental, late work from the 1960s and early 1970s. Such as the earliest work in the exhibition - Monolith (Empyrean) from Kenwood Gardens - or the sculptures from The Family of Man group located at the Britten Pears Arts cultural center in Snape Maltings, Suffolk. Also on view are works from private collections, such as Hepworth's last major multi-part work Conversation with Magic Stones. The Kröller-Müller Museum is lending Squares with Two Circles.Squares with Two Circles, Barbara Hepworth | Collection Kröller-Müller Museum, OtterloTwo Forms (Divided Circle), Barbara Hepworth | Bolton Council from collection Bolton Library and Museum Services

Piet Mondrian

In 1937, Barbara Hepworth and husband Ben Nicholsonhelped Dutch painter Piet Mondrian get from Paris to London to escape advancing Nazism. Their friendship helped prompt Hepworth to stylistically reference Mondrian with Construction (Crucifixion) in 1966. Salisbury Cathedral has loaned this extraordinary work to the Rijksmuseum. The Kröller-Müller Museum previously organized the largest European retrospective of her work to that time, and has one of the most important collections of her sculptures in public ownership.Construction (Crucifixion), Barbara Hepworth | Loan Dean and Chapter of Salisbury Cathedral, EnglandThe Family of Man (Ancestor I & II, Parent I), Barbara Hepworth | The Syndics of the Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge