Portrait of Martha Graham
Portrait of Martha Graham
Artist
Marisol
(Venezuelan, French, American, 1930 - 2016)
Date1977
MediumOil and pencil on wood and plaster
Dimensions53 x 25 1/2 x 32 1/2 in. (134.6 x 64.8 x 82.6 cm)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2010.12
Signedon back of chair, l.r.: Marisol / 1981
Accession number
2010.12
On View
Not on viewLabel TextHer back ramrod straight, Martha Graham’s likeness sits stoically enthroned in a simple chair. Depicting one of the most influential dancers of the twentieth century after her retirement, Marisol’s sculpture honors the enduring legacy of this performer while also nodding to the debilitating arthritis that ended her career, illustrated here by bound hands. Marisol’s depiction underscores that while a performer can harness and hone the spirit of dance for a while, like everything in life, a body’s role is only temporary.
Este retrato de Martha Graham, de espalda erguida, la presenta estoicamente entronizada en una silla simple. La escultura de Marisol, que representa a una de las bailarinas más influyentes del siglo XX ya retirada, honra el legado perdurable de esta artista sin dejar de aludir a la artritis que acabó con su carrera, aquí ilustrada por las manos unidas. Esta obra subraya que, aunque un artista pueda encarnar y perfeccionar el espíritu de la danza por un tiempo, como todo en la vida, el papel del cuerpo es solo temporal.
