The Hyades

Ibram Lassaw, The Hyades, 1951, bronze, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia and Phillip Frost, 1986.92.64
Copied Ibram Lassaw, The Hyades, 1951, bronze, 13 3⁄4 x 21 1⁄2 x 6 1⁄2 in. (34.9 x 54.6 x 16.5 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia and Phillip Frost, 1986.92.64

Artwork Details

Title
The Hyades
Artist
Date
1951
Location
Dimensions
13 3⁄4 x 21 1⁄2 x 6 1⁄2 in. (34.9 x 54.6 x 16.5 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Patricia and Phillip Frost
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
Object Number
1986.92.64
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1986.92.64

Artwork Description

Ibram Lassaw gave many of his sculptures titles based on stars and galaxies, naming The Hyades for an open cluster of stars in the Taurus constellation. He asserted that he did not intend to create constellations, but saw similarities between the completed sculptures and the arrangement of stars and planets in space. In The Hyades he created the initial shape from welded wire, then gradually built up the form using drips of molten bronze.