Artwork
Figure study of two standing women
Figure study of two standing women is a drawing by Barbara Hepworth. It dates from 1949 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The work is a pencil drawing that presents two nude female figures standing side by side.
About this work
Overview
The work is a pencil drawing that presents two nude female figures standing side by side. Rendered with swift, light lines, the composition reduces the bodies to essential contours, omitting facial features and detailed anatomy. The gesture of the arms differs between the figures, one relaxed and the other slightly bent, emphasizing a study of pose rather than narrative.
Technique & Style
Executed in a rapid linear manner, the drawing employs a loose, gestural approach typical of preparatory sketches. The artist uses minimal shading, allowing the pencil strokes to define volume and movement. By focusing on silhouette and the relationship of limbs, the piece captures the dynamism of the human form while maintaining a sketch‑like immediacy.
History & Provenance
First shown at the Lefevre Gallery in 1950 within a program that also displayed the artist’s sculptures and other drawings, the piece later traveled to venues such as Wakefield City Art Gallery and the Whitechapel Art Gallery. It featured in a 1954 Whitechapel retrospective, reappeared in a 1968 Tate Gallery exhibition, and was included in the 1972–73 Whitechapel survey of British art from the 1940s.
Context
Created during a period when British artists were revisiting the figure through a modernist lens, the drawing reflects an interest in distilling the human body to its basic geometric forms. Its emphasis on line and proportion aligns with contemporary explorations of anatomy as a foundation for larger sculptural and painted works.
Legacy
The sketch remains part of the artist’s broader corpus of studies that inform larger compositions. It is referenced in collections such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, where similar preparatory works illustrate the artist’s method of developing form through quick, observational drawing.
Artist & collection
Artist
Dame Jocelyn Barbara Hepworth was an English sculptor. Her work exemplifies Modernism and in particular modern sculpture. Along with artists such as Ben Nicholson and Naum Gabo, Hepworth was a leading figure in the…
