Mujer Sentada

I was called in early to an estate last month and my eyes chanced upon an interesting wooden modernist sculpture. Hmmm, it looked very much like the work of the British artist Barbara Hepworth. I asked the owner what she knew about it and she said, "Well, I don't know if it is a Barbara Hepworth?" What if it is, I asked her? "Don't tell me," she said.

I bought it.

Bimorphic Theme - Barbara Hepworth

Barbara Hepworth is a very valuable artist, like Henry Moore, her work can run into the millions of dollars. I wish that I could say that this story has a happy ending but it doesn't, at least not yet.

I sent this letter to Hepworth's granddaughter, Dr. Sophie Bowness at the Tate, who administers her estate:

Dear Dr. Bowness,

I am an art dealer in California. I recently purchased a wood sculpture that I believe could very well be a work of your grandmother, Barbara Hepworth. I hope that you can help me determine if it is her work.

It stands 17" tall on the original wood block that is 8 x 9" square. 

The work is initialed with a conjoined BH on the upright portion of the base on the third picture on top as you see pictured below.

I was talking to an art historian I know who deals in latin art from this period and he said that Henry Moore was sending work to the Misrachi gallery in the 1930's and may have included some Hepworth pieces. This is a storied gallery, which opened in 1933. 

This is the earliest address for the gallery but this particular tag may have been used up until the 1950's. Unfortunately, the tag only reads Barbara with no last name. It appears that the gallery is no longer operational as I have tried to contact them to no avail and I had hoped to go through their records.

I would appreciate your opinion and letting me know if you have a record of this mujer sentada artwork in your files. It certainly looks right to me.

Sincerely,

Robert Sommers

Blue Heron Gallery

113 N. Main Ave.

Fallbrook, CA 92028

I also sent her a picture of this very similar Hepworth sculpture that my friend Peter found for me online. Identical head and neck. If it is a Hepworth it provides a good clue on approximate creation date.

I received this letter back:

Dear Robert Sommers

This work is not recorded in the very comprehensive catalogue that Hepworth herself compiled of her sculpture

The carving you sent separately is entitled Mother and Child (1934) and is in the collection of The Hepworth Wakefield

with best wishes

Sophie 

Dr Sophie Bowness

Hepworth Estate

Well, that was a dead end! I decided to try a different tack and contacted an art dealer I know that works in Mexico City. I asked him to try to locate the Misrachi archives. After all, it does have an inventory number, the label lists Barbara and the piece is initialed BH. 

My associate contacted a Misrachi grandson who told him that the records are lost or unavailable at this point.

*

So I am back to square one. So close and yet so far!

This conundrum may never sort itself out. I have been through committees twice before with John Singer Sargent, one successful, the other inconclusive. I have struck out with Dali and Warhol, with pieces that I knew to be correct and the work of the artist.

But the gatekeepers do not always feel it is in their best interest to open those doors again, they risk opprobrium and there is no personal gain for them to do so and and that is what people are most interested in, on either side of the equation.

So here I sit. I have to think or hope there could have been at least one occasion in her storied career where a piece slipped though and failed to reach the catalogue?

I know that it is neither here nor there but I believe in my heart that this is Hepworth's creation, aesthetically, constructively, labels, initials, all sorts of reasons.

I dangle this out to the world in the hopes that somewhere, in some deep vault in Mexico City or England, someone can shed more light on this beautiful sculpture. Hepworth or not, I can not let the matter rest. 

Any sleuths out there that can help shed light?