Genesis

Genesis
1969
Lithograph on paper
72.4 x 53.7 cm
Presented by the artist’s daughters, Rachel Kidd and Sarah Bowness, through the Trustees of the Barbara Hepworth Estate and the Art Fund © Bowness. Photography Jerry Hardman-Jones

In 1946 Hepworth wrote, ‘I rarely make drawings for a particular sculpture… I do, however, spend whole periods of time entirely in drawing when I search for forms and rhythms and curvatures for my own satisfaction.’

In Genesis, two circles are placed in relation to one another, like planets hanging in space, while the title alludes to the biblical story of the creation of the universe.

At this time space exploration was in the public consciousness, and Hepworth noted the year this was made: ‘We’ve all assimilated a great deal of scientific discovery – the sensation of space, as well as a new conception of the universe’.