Artwork
Abandon
Abandon is a photographic photography by Ercole Drei. It is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This photograph captures a stone sculpture of a reclining female figure, mounted on green card.
About this work
Overview
This photograph captures a stone sculpture of a reclining female figure, mounted on green card. It was submitted in response to questionnaires distributed by William Kineton Parkes during the 1920s, as part of his research into contemporary sculpture. The image entered the Archive of Art and Design following Parkes’s bequest in 1938, preserving a record of artistic practice from that era.
Subject & Meaning
The sculpture depicts a woman in a relaxed, lateral pose, her head supported by one arm while the other rests gently along her torso. The composition emphasizes natural bodily contours and a sense of quiet repose. There is no overt narrative or symbolic reference; the focus lies in the physical presence of the form, suggesting an interest in corporeal authenticity over allegory.
Technique & Style
The artist employed contrasting surface treatments: the skin appears smoothed to suggest softness, while the draped fabric retains a coarse, chiseled texture.
The artist employed contrasting surface treatments: the skin appears smoothed to suggest softness, while the draped fabric retains a coarse, chiseled texture. This deliberate variation enhances the tactile quality of the stone and draws attention to the play of light across the form. The handling of shadow and relief reflects an awareness of chiaroscuro, deepening the sculpture’s three-dimensional presence.
History & Provenance
The photograph originated as documentation sent to William Kineton Parkes, an art historian and librarian, during his survey of sculptors in the 1920s. It was later included in his personal collection, which he bequeathed to the Archive of Art and Design in 1938. Its preservation reflects early efforts to systematically record and archive contemporary sculptural work.
Context
In the interwar period, many artists and scholars sought to document modern approaches to figurative sculpture, often moving away from idealized forms toward more direct, tactile expressions. Parkes’s questionnaire project captured this shift, and this photograph represents one such response—evidence of a broader movement toward naturalism and material honesty in British sculpture.
Legacy
The photograph endures as a historical record of a sculptural work whose original object may no longer be traceable. It illustrates how documentation itself became a vital part of artistic transmission, preserving the visual language of a moment when sculpture was being redefined through direct engagement with form and material.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ercole Drei was an Italian sculptor. His work was part of the sculpture event in the art competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
