The Curtain

George Segal, The Curtain, 1974, mixed media: plaster, glass and painted wood, 84 1⁄2 x 39 1⁄4 x 35 1⁄2 in. (214.6 x 99.7 x 90.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1978.62, (c) 1978, George Segal

Artwork Details

Title
The Curtain
Artist
Date
1974
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
84 1⁄2 x 39 1⁄4 x 35 1⁄2 in. (214.6 x 99.7 x 90.2 cm.)
Copyright
(c) 1978, George Segal
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
mixed media: plaster, glass and painted wood
Classifications
Subjects
  • Architecture Interior — detail — window
  • Figure female — nude
Object Number
1978.62
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1978.62

Artwork Description

George Segal found the themes for his plaster-cast figures in accidental glimpses of other people's lives. In this piece, the woman's poetic gesture of parting a curtain echoes Segal's sculptural process, as he delicately captures the intimate details of another person's body. The artist wrapped his models in plaster-soaked gauze and used either the rough external form or, as in The Curtain, cast a second figure from the impression inside the casing. His technique demanded that his sitters keep their eyes shut, and the resulting faces remain impassive while the body alone communicates. The contrasts of shadows falling on white plaster and the sense of a fleeting moment frozen in time reflect Segal's reverence for the "miraculous" quality of "ordinary life and ordinary space."

Works by this artist (24 items)

View all artworks
Luis Jiménez, Vaquero, modeled 1980/cast 1990, acrylic urethane, fiberglass, steel armature, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Judith and Wilbur L. Ross, Jr., Anne and Ronald Abramson, and Thelma and Melvin Lenkin, 1990.44, © 1980, Luis Jiménez
Vaquero
Artist
Datemodeled 1980/cast 1990
acrylic urethane, fiberglass, steel armature
On view
Luis Jiménez, Model for "Fiesta", 1986, cast fiberglass, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, Public Buildings Service, 1987.14.1, © 1986, Luis Jiménez
Model for ​“Fiesta”
Artist
Date1986
cast fiberglass
On view
Luis Jiménez, Man on Fire, 1969, fiberglass in acrylic urethane resin on painted wood fiberboard base, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Philip Morris Incorporated, 1979.124, © 1969, Luis Jiménez
Man on Fire
Artist
Date1969
fiberglass in acrylic urethane resin on painted wood fiberboard base
On view
Luis Jiménez, Coyote, 1993, watercolor with pencil, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Frank K. Ribelin, 1997.10, © 1993, Luis Jiménez
Coyote
Artist
Date1993
watercolor with pencil
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Browse All Artworks
Luis Jiménez, Vaquero, modeled 1980/cast 1990, acrylic urethane, fiberglass, steel armature, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Judith and Wilbur L. Ross, Jr., Anne and Ronald Abramson, and Thelma and Melvin Lenkin, 1990.44, © 1980, Luis Jiménez
Vaquero
Artist
Datemodeled 1980/cast 1990
acrylic urethane, fiberglass, steel armature
On view
John McCracken, Untitled, 1981, resin and fiberglass, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Edith S. and Arthur J. Levin, 2005.5.45
Untitled
Artist
Date1981
resin and fiberglass
Not on view
Luis Jiménez, Model for "Fiesta", 1986, cast fiberglass, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, Public Buildings Service, 1987.14.1, © 1986, Luis Jiménez
Model for ​“Fiesta”
Artist
Date1986
cast fiberglass
On view
Jeremy Anderson, Triumph of the Egg, 1970, assembled, painted and shellacked wood, fiberglass and sand, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak, 1983.92.1
Triumph of the Egg
Artist
Date1970
assembled, painted and shellacked wood, fiberglass and sand
On view