The Ray
1 of 2
Object Label
Alexander Archipenko first conceived this work’s form—an elongated, abstracted figure of a woman—about 1918. He explored the figure numerous times in several variations and media, sometimes calling it “Vase” or “Vase Woman” and other times “Ray,” recognizing the flexibility of perception, as well as the relationship between animate and inanimate forms.
Caption
Alexander Archipenko Kyiv, present–day Ukraine (former Russian Empire), 1887 – 1964, New York, New York. The Ray, 1920s. Bronze with green patina, Total height: 74 in., 215 lb. (188 cm, 97.52kg) Sculpture: 63 x 9 x 6 in., 59 lb. (160 x 22.9 x 15.2 cm, 26.76kg) base (Base): 11 x 14 x 14 in., 156 lb. (27.9 x 35.6 x 35.6 cm, 70.76kg). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of The Beatrice and Samuel A. Seaver Foundation, 2004.37.1a-b. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2004.37.1_front_PS6.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Artist
Title
The Ray
Date
1920s
Geography
Place made: Europe
Medium
Bronze with green patina
Classification
Dimensions
Total height: 74 in., 215 lb. (188 cm, 97.52kg) Sculpture: 63 x 9 x 6 in., 59 lb. (160 x 22.9 x 15.2 cm, 26.76kg) base (Base): 11 x 14 x 14 in., 156 lb. (27.9 x 35.6 x 35.6 cm, 70.76kg)
Signatures
Signed proper left side, self base: "Archipenko"
Markings
Proper left side, self base, edition number: "6/6"
Credit Line
Gift of The Beatrice and Samuel A. Seaver Foundation
Accession Number
2004.37.1a-b
Rights
© artist or artist's estate
Copyright for this work may be controlled by the artist, the artist's estate, or other rights holders. A more detailed analysis of its rights history may, however, place it in the public domain. The Museum does not warrant that the use of this work will not infringe on the rights of third parties. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions before copying, transmitting, or making other use of protected items beyond that allowed by "fair use," as such term is understood under the United States Copyright Act. For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Have information?
Have information about an artwork? Contact us at