The Builder (study for Chase Bank)

William Zorach, The Builder (study for Chase Bank), ca. 1960, cast and patinated plaster, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1971.449.29
Copied William Zorach, The Builder (study for Chase Bank), ca. 1960, cast and patinated plaster, 13 3⁄8 x 5 7⁄8 x 4 3⁄8 in. (34.0 x 14.8 x 11.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1971.449.29

Artwork Details

Title
The Builder (study for Chase Bank)
Artist
Date
ca. 1960
Location
Dimensions
13 3⁄8 x 5 7⁄8 x 4 3⁄8 in. (34.0 x 14.8 x 11.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar
Mediums
Mediums Description
cast and patinated plaster
Classifications
Keywords
  • Occupation — industry — construction
  • Figure male — full length
  • Figure — nude
Object Number
1971.449.29
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1971.449.29

Artwork Description

William Zorach probably derived The Builder from a sculpture he created for the 1939 New York World’s Fair. In the earlier piece, he had carved a sixteen-foot-high group of five builders accompanied by tools and horses to celebrate the workingmen of America. In this small study, completed many years later, the lone figure’s roughly hewn limbs and angled features appear to grow from the rock behind him, symbolizing the strength and durability of both the builder and the materials he works with.