Taurus

George L. K. Morris, Taurus, 1965, marble, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Stanley and Eleanor Zuckerman, 1991.174
Copied George L. K. Morris, Taurus, 1965, marble, 31 3⁄4 x 11 x 8 3⁄4 in. (80.7 x 28.0 x 22.3 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Stanley and Eleanor Zuckerman, 1991.174

Artwork Details

Title
Taurus
Artist
Date
1965
Location
Dimensions
31 3⁄4 x 11 x 8 3⁄4 in. (80.7 x 28.0 x 22.3 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Stanley and Eleanor Zuckerman
Mediums
Mediums Description
marble
Classifications
Keywords
  • Abstract
Object Number
1991.174
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1991.174

Artwork Description

In his paintings and sculptures, George L. K. Morris used the direction and weight of abstract shapes to express a tension between movement and stillness. During the 1960s, he devoted all of his time to painting and sculpture in his studio in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts. Morris carved this piece from pale pink marble, polishing the surface to a smooth finish that highlights the natural striations of pink and gray. The hornlike protrusions may have been inspired by Taurus, the great white bull from Greek mythology who was thought to be the god Zeus in disguise.