Maquette for On High

Alexander Liberman, Maquette for On High, 1978, welded and painted steel on steel base, 23 5⁄8 x 16 x 16 in. (60.1 x 40.6 x 40.7 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, 1980.49.9

Artwork Details

Title
Maquette for On High
Artist
Date
1978
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
23 5⁄8 x 16 x 16 in. (60.1 x 40.6 x 40.7 cm)
Credit Line
Transfer from the General Services Administration
Mediums
Mediums Description
welded and painted steel on steel base
Classifications
Subjects
  • Study — sculpture model
  • Abstract
Object Number
1980.49.9
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1980.49.9

Artwork Description

This sculpture is a maquette for Alexander Liberman's immense steel sculpture in the plaza of the Robert Giamo Federal Building in New Haven, Connecticut. During the 1960s and '70s, the General Services Administration's Art-in-Architecture Program commissioned many large outdoor sculptures to enrich the social and cultural environments around new federal buildings. Liberman was selected for a commission in 1978 and created this small model, along with a full-scale mock-up of the piece, before beginning work on the final sculpture. He was inspired by Bramante's Tempietto, a High Renaissance circular temple in the courtyard of San Pietro in Montorio, Rome, and wanted to build a sculpture from elongated cylinders to create "a sense of verticality and awe."

Works by this artist (8 items)

View all artworks
Alexander Liberman, Red Circle, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Woodward Foundation, 1976.108.76
Red Circle
Artist
Not on view
Alexander Liberman, Abstraction V, 1964, lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1967.34.3
Abstraction V
Artist
Date1964
lithograph on paper
Not on view
Alexander Liberman, Untitled, 1966, color lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1969.23.3
Untitled
Artist
Date1966
color lithograph on paper
Not on view
Alexander Liberman, Maquette for On High, 1978, welded and painted steel on steel base, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, 1980.49.9
Maquette for On High
Artist
Date1978
welded and painted steel on steel base
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Browse All Artworks
Richard Serra, Maquette for Tilted Arc, 1980, bent and incised steel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, Art-in-Architecture Program, 1981.188
Maquette for Tilted Arc
Artist
Date1980
bent and incised steel
Not on view
Lyman Kipp, Alternate Design for Highline, 1975, bolted and painted steel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, Art-in-Architecture Program, 1979.159.36
Alternate Design for Highline
Artist
Date1975
bolted and painted steel
Not on view
William Goodman, Maquette for Solirio, 1973-1974, hammered, welded and painted steel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, Art-in-Architecture Program, 1979.159.9
Maquette for Solirio
Artist
Date1973-1974
hammered, welded and painted steel
Not on view
Beverly Pepper, Maquette for Excalibur, 1975, welded steel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, Art-in-Architecture Program, 1977.47.193, © 1975, Beverly Pepper
Maquette for Excalibur
Artist
Date1975
welded steel
Not on view