The Bride

Alexander Archipenko

1936

Terracotta

Seattle Art Museum

The Russian abstractionist Archipenko arrived in America in 1923 already a highly acclaimed sculptor. He was closely associated with the modern artists of Paris and in full command of Cubism, which he practiced in three dimensions to evoke the multifaceted reality of bodies in space. In great demand as a teacher, he lectured at many institutions, including the University of Washington, where he was a visiting professor for the summer terms of 1935 and 1936. He likely created this piece in Seattle. Archipenko’s love of elegant surfaces led him to develop a unique way of treating traditional terra cotta. He rubbed his fired clay forms