Dropped Bra (Big Maquette)
Dropped Bra (Big Maquette)
Artist
Tom Wesselmann
(1931 - 2004)
Dateca. 1978-1980
MediumEnamel on aluminum
Dimensions28 × 58 × 22 in. (71.1 × 147.3 × 55.9 cm)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, Gift of John Wilmerding, 2016.16
Signedon base of the reverse, in black: The Estate of Tom Wesselmann, Claire Wesselmann [script], executor
Accession number
2016.16
On View
Not on viewCollections
Label TextThroughout his career, Tom Wesselmann looked to everday life and ordinary objects for inspiration. Because of this, he was often grouped with Pop artists like Andy Warhol. Wesselmann always rejected this label, feeling that his work never aligned with that of his contemporaries because he was not directly commenting on consumerism. Wesselmann first gained notoriety for his Great American Nudes series, a hundred paintings of nude women coinciding with the sexual awakening of 1960s America. The following decade he continued to create related work, but shifted away from the sexualized female figure towards their accessories, as is the case with Dropped Bra. One of five “big maquettes,” this aluminum sculpture was a test for creating a larger version of the same subject. By focusing on a modern article of clothing, Wesselmann updates the traditional still life for a contemporary audience.
Markingsstamp: work executed by / Lippincott / North Haven Conn
after estate signature, stamp: WESSELMANN No. 3
