William Zorach, The Builder (study for Chase Bank), ca. 1960, cast and patinated plaster, 13 3⁄8 x 5 7⁄8 x 4 3⁄8 in. (34.0 x 14.8 x 11.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1971.449.29
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Artwork Details
- Title
- The Builder (study for Chase Bank)
- Artist
- Date
- ca. 1960
- Location
- Dimensions
- 13 3⁄8 x 5 7⁄8 x 4 3⁄8 in. (34.0 x 14.8 x 11.0 cm.)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- cast and patinated plaster
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Figure — nude
- Figure male — full length
- Occupation — industry — construction
- Object Number
- 1971.449.29
Artwork Description
William Zorach probably derived The Builder from a sculpture he created for the 1939 New York World’s Fair. In the earlier piece, he had carved a sixteen-foot-high group of five builders accompanied by tools and horses to celebrate the workingmen of America. In this small study, completed many years later, the lone figure’s roughly hewn limbs and angled features appear to grow from the rock behind him, symbolizing the strength and durability of both the builder and the materials he works with.