William Zorach

Copied Eugenie Gershoy, William Zorach, n.d., bronze, 21 1211 186 34 in. (54.728.317.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift from the collection of the Zorach children, 1971.103

Artwork Details

Title
William Zorach
Date
n.d.
Dimensions
21 1211 186 34 in. (54.728.317.0 cm)
Credit Line
Gift from the collection of the Zorach children
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Keywords
  • Occupation — art — painter
  • Occupation — art — sculptor
  • Occupation — art — printmaker
  • Portrait male — Zorach, William — full length
  • Object — art tool — chisel
Object Number
1971.103

Artwork Description

William Zorach came to America from Lithuania when he was four years old. His family was very poor, and he was forced to leave school at thirteen to go to work. He studied drawing and painting at the Cleveland School of Art during the evenings and by 1910 had saved enough money to travel to Paris. On his return to America he began his career as a painter, but after a few years began to carve sculptures from granite, marble, onyx, and wood. This portrait shows Zorach wielding a hammer and chisel, on the point of carving into an immense stone block.