Howard Newman, Temptress, 1978, bronze, 14 x 12 1⁄4 x 14 in. (35.5 x 31.1 x 35.5 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation, 1985.30.54
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Temptress
- Artist
- Date
- 1978
- Location
- Dimensions
- 14 x 12 1⁄4 x 14 in. (35.5 x 31.1 x 35.5 cm.)
- Credit Line
- Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- bronze
- Classifications
- Subjects
- State of being — evil — temptation
- Figure female
- Object Number
- 1985.30.54
Artwork Description
Howard Newman often portrayed weapons and armor as extensions of the human body. Temptress is a malignant figure of a woman with a cracked, insectlike exoskeleton. She could be Eve in the Garden of Eden, offering fruit from the forbidden tree. Her grotesque armor and threatening features suggest a warning against the seductiveness of power in a modern, industrial world.