Agricola I
Encyclopedia
Agricola I is an abstract
sculpture
by American
artist David Smith
. The artwork is located on the grounds at and in the collection of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
in Washington, D.C.
, United States
. The word "agricola" means "farmer" in Latin
. This work is the first in the Agricola series by Smith.
sculpture made of old farm machinery which have been assembled to appear as a farmer
holding a tool in each hand.
. In 1966 the Hirshhorn Museum's namesake, Joseph H. Hirshhorn gave the work to the museum.
as "making a direct reference" to Mercury as attributed to Adrian de Vries and "that this Mercury variation is not an isolated instance in Smith's career," referring to other works such as Circles, Wagons and Sentinals by Smith, which are all variations upon work by another artist. Deemed a "parody" by The Washington Post
, in the catalog of the National Gallery's 1982-1983 exhibition, "David Smith," Agricola is renamed "Mercury variant" for the duration of the publication. In 1982, NGA curator E.A. Carmean Jr., stated that the Hirshhorn's Agricola I was a must have for NGA if the work was ever to be deaccessioned. Art historian and critic Rosalind Krauss describes Agricola I as being "a hieratic image, rigid, frontal, and planar to the point of existing almost solely as a silhouette
; whereas Mercury is a Mannerist work of combined elegance and muscularity..." She also points out that Mercury has nothing to do with the agricultural theme of Agricola I.
stated that the Agricola series depicts "primitive figures seem on their way to work the land, but it is hard to tell where the farmers end and where their tools begin." In a 1982 review of the National Gallery exhibition, The New York Times
called the Agricola series "elegantly wrought" and as "giving everyday forms a metaphorical unity,"
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist David Smith
David Smith (sculptor)
David Roland Smith was an American Abstract Expressionist sculptor and painter, best known for creating large steel abstract geometric sculptures.-Biography:...
. The artwork is located on the grounds at and in the collection of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is an art museum beside the National Mall, in Washington, D.C., the United States. The museum was initially endowed during the 1960s with the permanent art collection of Joseph H. Hirshhorn. It was designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft and is part of the...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The word "agricola" means "farmer" in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. This work is the first in the Agricola series by Smith.
Description
Agricola I is a painted steelSteel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
sculpture made of old farm machinery which have been assembled to appear as a farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
holding a tool in each hand.
Acquisition
The sculpture was originally purchased in 1962 from Park International in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 1966 the Hirshhorn Museum's namesake, Joseph H. Hirshhorn gave the work to the museum.
Further information
The Agricola series includes other works utilizing old farm equipment. The series of sixteen sculptures, made between 1950 to 1957, represent Smith's concern with farming in upper New York State where he lived.Mercury
The sculpture has been described by curators at the National Gallery of ArtNational Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
as "making a direct reference" to Mercury as attributed to Adrian de Vries and "that this Mercury variation is not an isolated instance in Smith's career," referring to other works such as Circles, Wagons and Sentinals by Smith, which are all variations upon work by another artist. Deemed a "parody" by The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, in the catalog of the National Gallery's 1982-1983 exhibition, "David Smith," Agricola is renamed "Mercury variant" for the duration of the publication. In 1982, NGA curator E.A. Carmean Jr., stated that the Hirshhorn's Agricola I was a must have for NGA if the work was ever to be deaccessioned. Art historian and critic Rosalind Krauss describes Agricola I as being "a hieratic image, rigid, frontal, and planar to the point of existing almost solely as a silhouette
Silhouette
A silhouette is the image of a person, an object or scene consisting of the outline and a basically featureless interior, with the silhouetted object usually being black. Although the art form has been popular since the mid-18th century, the term “silhouette” was seldom used until the early decades...
; whereas Mercury is a Mannerist work of combined elegance and muscularity..." She also points out that Mercury has nothing to do with the agricultural theme of Agricola I.
Reception
Art historian Sam Hunter described the Agricola series as "an abrasive, unadorned art brut of laconic gesture, almost no discernible style, and yet of an extraordinary lyric intensity." The IndependentThe Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
stated that the Agricola series depicts "primitive figures seem on their way to work the land, but it is hard to tell where the farmers end and where their tools begin." In a 1982 review of the National Gallery exhibition, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called the Agricola series "elegantly wrought" and as "giving everyday forms a metaphorical unity,"
Exhibition history
- David Smith, 1982–1983, National Gallery of ArtNational Gallery of ArtThe National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
, Washington, D.C. - Sculpture from Washington Collections, 1996–1997, White HouseWhite HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, Washington, D.C.
External links
- Agricola I from David Smith's estate
- "From Concept to Contemplation" from Smith's 2006 retrospective show at the Guggenheim MuseumGuggenheim MuseumGuggenheim Museum may refer to:* The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, United States* The Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Italy* The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain* The Guggenheim Hermitage Museum in Las Vegas, United States...
shows a picture of Smith welding Agricola I.