Four-Sided Pyramid
first installation 1997, fabricated 1999
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
concrete blocks and mortar
Dimensions
overall: 458.2 x 1012.2 x 970.9 cm (180 3/8 x 398 1/2 x 382 1/4 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CMC
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of the Donald Fisher Family
Accession Number
1998.149.1
Art Historical Context
Sol LeWitt's *Four-Sided Pyramid* (first installed in 1997, fabricated in 1999) stands as a monumental testament to Minimalism and Conceptual Art. Constructed from modular concrete blocks and mortar, this massive sculpture measures over 15 feet tall and spans nearly 33 feet in width, inviting viewers to experience pure geometric form on a human scale. LeWitt, a pioneer of these movements, often emphasized the idea over the object, creating works that could be executed by others following his precise instructions—a radical shift from traditional artist craftsmanship. The pyramid's stepped, fou...
About the Artist
Sol LeWitt
Solomon "Sol" LeWitt (1928–2007) was born in Hartford, Connecticut, to Russian Jewish immigrant parents; his father, a doctor and inventor, died when Sol was six, after which he lived with his mother, a nurse, and an aunt in New Britain. His mother enrolled him in art classes at the Wadsworth Atheneum, fostering his early interest in drawing. LeWitt earned a BFA from Syracuse University in 1949, w...