History of Barbara Hepworth in Timeline

Dame Jocelyn Barbara Hepworth was a prominent English artist and sculptor whose work epitomized Modernism, especially in sculpture. She was a key figure in the St Ives artists' colony during World War II, alongside artists like Ben Nicholson and Naum Gabo. Hepworth's contributions significantly shaped modern sculpture and her association with St Ives cemented its place as a hub of artistic activity during the war.

January 1903: Birth of Barbara Hepworth

Barbara Hepworth was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, England in January 1903.

1920: Studies at Leeds School of Art

Barbara Hepworth began studying at the Leeds School of Art in 1920, where she met Henry Moore.

1921: Studies at the Royal College of Art

Barbara Hepworth began studying at the Royal College of Art in London in 1921.

1921: Herbert Hepworth's Promotion

Barbara Hepworth's father, Herbert, was promoted to county surveyor in 1921.

1924: Graduation from the Royal College of Art

Barbara Hepworth graduated from the Royal College of Art in 1924.

1924: Travel to Florence and Prix-de-Rome

Hepworth travelled to Florence on a scholarship and was runner-up for the Prix-de-Rome in 1924.

May 1925: Marriage to John Skeaping

Barbara Hepworth married John Skeaping in Florence in May 1925.

1925: Marriage to John Skeaping

Barbara Hepworth married sculptor John Skeaping in 1925.

1926: Return to London

Hepworth and Skeaping returned to London in 1926 and began exhibiting their work.

1927: Portrait Heads by Hepworth and Skeaping

Around 1927 in London, Hepworth and John Skeaping created marble portrait heads of each other, which are now believed lost.

1927: Residence at 24 St Ann's Terrace

In 1927, Barbara Hepworth and her first husband, John Skeaping, lived at 24 St Ann's Terrace in St John's Wood, London, which was later commemorated with a blue plaque.

1929: Birth of Paul Skeaping

Hepworth's son, Paul, was born in London in 1929.

1931: Relationship with Ben Nicholson

Barbara Hepworth began a relationship with painter Ben Nicholson in 1931.

1931: First Pierced Sculpture

Hepworth created her first pierced sculpture in 1931.

1931: Meeting Ben Nicholson

Hepworth met and fell in love with Ben Nicholson in 1931.

March 1933: Divorce from John Skeaping

Hepworth divorced John Skeaping in March 1933.

1933: Divorce from John Skeaping and Founding of Unit One

Hepworth divorced John Skeaping in 1933 and co-founded the art movement Unit One.

1933: Travels to France and Co-founding of Unit One

Hepworth travelled to France with Nicholson, visiting various artists' studios, and co-founded the Unit One art movement in 1933.

1934: Birth of Triplets

Hepworth gave birth to triplets (Rachel, Sarah, and Simon) in 1934.

1937: Design for "Circle: An International Survey of Constructivist Art"

Hepworth designed the layout for the book "Circle: An International Survey of Constructivist Art" in 1937.

November 1938: Marriage to Ben Nicholson

Hepworth married Ben Nicholson in November 1938.

1939: Move to Cornwall

Hepworth, Nicholson, and their children moved to Cornwall at the outbreak of World War II in 1939.

1944: Friendship with Norman Capener and Observation of Surgical Procedures

Hepworth developed a friendship with surgeon Norman Capener and began observing surgical procedures in 1944.

1944: Hospitalization of Hepworth's Daughter and Start of Surgical Drawings

Hepworth's daughter was hospitalized in 1944, leading to Hepworth creating a series of surgical drawings.

1947: Start of Surgical Drawings

Hepworth began creating surgical drawings in 1947.

February 1949: Co-founding of the Penwith Society of Arts

Hepworth co-founded the Penwith Society of Arts in February 1949.

1949: Beginning of Work with Assistants

From 1949 onwards, Hepworth began working with assistants, ultimately employing 16 throughout her career.

1949: Completion of Surgical Drawings

Hepworth completed nearly 80 surgical drawings by 1949.

1949: Move to Trewyn Studios

Hepworth moved to Trewyn Studios in St Ives in 1949.

1950: Creation of Contrapuntal Forms

Hepworth created the sculpture "Contrapuntal Forms" in 1950, which was subsequently displayed at the Festival of Britain in 1951.

1950: Exhibition at the Venice Biennale

Hepworth's work was exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 1950.

1951: Divorce from Ben Nicholson and New Materials

Hepworth divorced Ben Nicholson in 1951 and started working with bronze and clay.

1951: Exhibition at the Festival of Britain

Hepworth's public commissions were exhibited at the Festival of Britain in 1951.

February 1953: Death of Paul Skeaping

Hepworth's son, Paul, died in a plane crash in February 1953.

August 1954: Trip to Greece

Hepworth travelled to Greece with Margaret Gardiner in August 1954.

August 1954: Return from Greece and Nigerian Guarea Wood

Upon returning from Greece in August 1954, Hepworth received a shipment of Nigerian guarea wood.

1954: Trip to Greece

In 1954, Barbara Hepworth took a trip to Greece with Margaret Gardiner, which later inspired her 1971 lithograph suite, "The Aegean Suite".

1955: Sculptures from Guarea Wood

Hepworth created several sculptures from guarea wood in 1955, inspired by her trip to Greece.

1955: Gallery Representation in the United States

In 1955, Barbara Hepworth finally secured gallery representation in the United States with the Martha Jackson Gallery, exhibiting alongside William Scott and Francis Bacon. This followed unsuccessful attempts to establish a similar arrangement with Curt Valentin of the Bucholz Gallery.

1956: Completion of Guarea Wood Sculptures

Hepworth completed a series of six sculptures from guarea wood by 1956.

1956: John Milne purchases Trewyn House

Hepworth's pupil and assistant John Milne purchased Trewyn House in 1956.

1957: Change of Gallery Representation

In 1957, due to dissatisfaction with Martha Jackson's inability to organize a solo exhibition, Hepworth switched her US gallery representation to Galerie Chalette, run by Arthur and Madeleine Lejwa, known for their close relationship with artist Jean Arp.

1958: Appointed CBE

Barbara Hepworth was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1958.

1959: Grand Prix at São Paulo Art Biennial

Barbara Hepworth was awarded the Grand Prix at the São Paulo Art Biennial in 1959.

1960: Honorary Degree from University of Birmingham

Hepworth received an honorary degree from the University of Birmingham in 1960.

1960: Studio Expansion

In 1960, Hepworth expanded her studio space significantly by acquiring the Palais de Danse, a former cinema and dance hall across from her existing studio, Trewyn. This new space facilitated work on large-scale commissions.

1961: Commission for Single Form

Following Dag Hammarskjöld's death in 1961, Jacob Blaustein commissioned Hepworth to create "Single Form" in his memory. This bronze sculpture stands at the United Nations building in New York City.

1961: Honorary Degree from University of Leeds

Hepworth was granted an honorary degree from the University of Leeds in 1961.

1964: Securing the Dag Hammarskjöld Memorial Commission and Gallery Change

After securing the prestigious Dag Hammarskjöld Memorial Commission in 1964, Hepworth left Galerie Chalette and Gimpel Fils to join the larger Marlborough Fine Art and Marlborough-Gerson galleries, prioritizing professional growth over personal relationships.

1964: Creation of Rock Form (Porthcurno)

Hepworth created the bronze sculpture "Rock Form (Porthcurno)" in 1964. One of the six editions was later the subject of controversy surrounding its removal from public display in Wolverhampton.

1965: Appointed DBE

Hepworth was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1965.

1966: Honorary Degree from University of Exeter

In 1966, Hepworth received an honorary degree from the University of Exeter.

1968: Freedom of St Ives and Induction into Gorsedh Kernow

In 1968, Hepworth was awarded the Freedom of St Ives and inducted into Gorsedh Kernow with the bardic name "Gravyor" (Sculptor), recognizing her contributions to the town and to art.

1968: Previous London Show

The last major London show of Barbara Hepworth's work before the Tate Britain retrospective in January 2015 was held in 1968.

1969: Creation of Two Forms

Barbara Hepworth created the sculpture "Two Forms" in 1969. It was later placed in Dulwich Park in 1970 and stolen in December 2011.

1969: Lithography with Curwen Gallery

In 1969, Hepworth collaborated with the Curwen Gallery and its director Stanley Jones to produce a lithographic suite.

1970: Creation of Opposing Forms Lithographs

Hepworth created a set of lithographs titled "Opposing Forms" in 1970 with Marlborough Fine Art in London.

1970: Honorary Degree from University of London

Hepworth was awarded an honorary degree from the University of London in 1970.

1970: Installation of Two Forms in Dulwich Park

Hepworth's sculpture "Two Forms" was installed in Dulwich Park in 1970, where it remained until its theft in December 2011.

1971: Honorary Degree from University of Manchester

Hepworth received an honorary degree from the University of Manchester in 1971.

1971: The Aegean Suite and Opposing Forms

In 1971, Hepworth produced "The Aegean Suite," inspired by a 1954 trip to Greece, with the Curwen Gallery. She also created the "Opposing Forms" lithographs with Marlborough Fine Art in 1970.

1973: Elected to American Academy of Arts and Letters

In 1973, Hepworth was elected as an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

May 1975: Death of Barbara Hepworth

Barbara Hepworth died in a fire at her studio in St Ives, Cornwall in May 1975.

1975: Death of Barbara Hepworth

Barbara Hepworth died in 1975.

1980: Barbara Hepworth Museum Opens

Hepworth's St Ives studio and home were opened to the public as the Barbara Hepworth Museum in 1980, under the control of the Tate.

December 2011: Theft of Two Forms

In December 2011, Hepworth's 1969 sculpture "Two Forms" was stolen from Dulwich Park, likely by scrap metal thieves. The piece, installed in 1970, was insured for £500,000.

2011: The Hepworth Wakefield Opens

The Hepworth Wakefield, a museum dedicated to Hepworth's work, opened in her hometown of Wakefield, England, in 2011. The museum was designed by David Chipperfield.

September 2014: Parliamentary Questions Regarding Rock Form

In September 2014, the removal of "Rock Form (Porthcurno)" from Wolverhampton's Mander Centre prompted questions in Parliament, highlighting public concern over the sculpture's disappearance. It was later loaned to Wolverhampton City Art Gallery.

January 2015: Tate Britain Retrospective

A major retrospective of Hepworth's work, featuring over 70 pieces, was held at Tate Britain in January 2015, the first large London show since 1968.

August 2020: Google Doodle Honors Hepworth

Barbara Hepworth was honored with a Google Doodle in August 2020.

October 2020: Blue Plaque Unveiling

A Historic England blue plaque commemorating Hepworth and her first husband, John Skeaping, was unveiled at their former London residence in October 2020.

2021: Inclusion in Women in Abstraction Exhibition

Hepworth's work was included in the 2021 exhibition "Women in Abstraction" at the Centre Pompidou.

November 2022: Barbara Hepworth: In Equilibrium Exhibition at Heide Museum of Modern Art

A major survey of Hepworth's work, "Barbara Hepworth: In Equilibrium", opened at the Heide Museum of Modern Art in Melbourne in November 2022 and ran until March 2023.