Vintage Mid-century Modern stone dove by American sculpture artist Cleo Hartwig, circa 1960s.
Cleo Hartwig was a highly influential artist during her career, taking naturalistic inspiration from her upbringing in rural Michigan and forms from a variety of international locations where she traveled for work, study, and beyond. Hartwig was a member of the National Association of Women Artists, and was a pivotal part in the modernization of the organization; helping to solidify their stature even further in the face of exclusion and discrimination from the art world of the time.
Hartwig worked in a style known as a ‘taille directe’ or ‘direct carving’; with such nomenclature describing the act of carving directly into the material and allowing the process & material itself to inform the end result. Traditional methods of sculpting would use clay models that would be scaled up and transferred into end material, whereas taille directe gave much more intuitive freedom to the artist when determining form.
This sculpture is in good vintage condition with evident aging and some cosmetic blemishes. Despite this, there is a warm glow and a story to tell with its patina! Engraved signature on the underside confirms provenance.
Local pick-up in Baltimore (21211) or delivery & shipping available, message me for a quote!
