10 Interesting Barbara Hepworth Facts

If you want to know the artist who lived during the war, you need to read Barbara Hepworth facts. This woman was born with the full name Dame Barbara Hepworth. She was famous as an English sculptor and artist. Most of his art presenting the style of modernism. Find out more about her journey, family life, art and personal life by reading the facts below.

Barbara Hepworth Facts 1: date of birth

Hepworth was born on January 10th, 1903 in Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire. Her father was Herbert Hepworth, while his mother was Gertrude Hepworth. She was the eldest child in the family.

Barbara Hepworth Facts 2: father’s occupation

Herbert Hepworth’s worked as a civil engineer for the West Riding County Council.  He got the position as a County Surveyor in 1921. His father was very dominant in the family. She always wanted the young Barbara to use her talent more.

Dame Barbara Hepworth

Barbara Hepworth Facts 3: the war artist

Barbara Hepworth was very famous with her colony of artist who lived during World War II. Other artists lived in this era included Naum Gabo and Ben Nicholson. All of them were resided in St Ives.

Barbara Hepworth Facts 4: early education

It seems that her parents knew the importance of education. She was a student of the Wakefield Girls High School. In 1920, she was enrolled at the Leeds School of Art because she got a full scholarship. In this school she encountered with Henry Moore.

Barbara Hepworth facts

Barbara Hepworth Facts 5: another scholarship

Hepworth got another scholarship in 1921 at the Royal College of Art. In 1924, she was very happy to get her diploma title from the college.

Barbara Hepworth Facts 6: Florence

When she studied in Royal College of Art in 1924, she decided to travel to Florence, Italy. The cash was covered by the West Riding Travel Scholarships that she won. At that time, she was the second champion for the Prix de Rome. The first position was the winner John Skeaping.

Barbara Hepworth Sclupture

Barbara Hepworth Facts 7: marriage

Since Barbara and Skeaping travelled together in Florence after the winning on Rome and Siena, both got hitched on May 13th 1925 in Florence. In 1929, they had their first son Paul.

Barbara Hepworth Facts 8: Giovanni Ardini

Giovanni Ardini was an inspiration for her. He was the man who taught Hepworth to carve marble when she was in Italy.  In 1926, Both Skeaping and Hepworth came back to London. They had the flat as the exhibition place for their works.

Barbara Hepworth Young

Barbara Hepworth Facts 9: early work

The character of her early works was about abstraction. But then she was very interested with abstraction Creation after she visited the studios of Constantin Brâncusi, Pablo Picasso and Jean Arp.

Barbara Hepworth Facts 10: Ben Nicholson

Hepworth involved in another marriage. After traveling together, it seems that she had a spark with the painter Ben Nicholson. Both married on November 17th 1938 even though both divorced in 1951.

Hepworth

You can see some of her works in various places such as Clare College, St Catherine’s College, Oxford, Murray Edwards College, Outside the Norwich Playhouse and many more. Are you interested with facts about Barbara Hepworth?