Couple Embracing

Copied Laura Dreyfus Barney, Couple Embracing, n.d., unfired, molded and patinated ceramic, 6 1⁄2 x 12 3⁄4 x 6 1⁄4 in. (16.5 x 32.5 x 16.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Laura Dreyfus Barney in memory of her mother, Alice Pike Barney, 1972.182.2

Artwork Details

Title
Couple Embracing
Artist
Date
n.d.
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
6 1⁄2 x 12 3⁄4 x 6 1⁄4 in. (16.5 x 32.5 x 16.0 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Laura Dreyfus Barney in memory of her mother, Alice Pike Barney
Mediums
Mediums Description
unfired, molded and patinated ceramic
Classifications
Keywords
  • State of being — emotion — love
  • Figure group — nude
Object Number
1972.182.2
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1972.182.2

Artwork Description

The bodies of the two figures in Couple Embracing emerge out of the ground with subtle definition. The man and woman cradle each other in an intimate embrace that is tempered by tenderness. Their raw, elemental forms are shaped from the same material and have the same color and texture as the ground. This suggests that they are as inseparable from each other as they are from the earth, and that desire and nature are irrevocably entwined.