Studies for "Black Tower" and Other Sculptures (PB4)
1985
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
graphite on wove paper
Dimensions
sheet: 52.55 × 107.95 cm (20 11/16 × 42 1/2 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection
Accession Number
2007.6.213
Art Historical Context
Ronald Bladen's *Studies for "Black Tower" and Other Sculptures (PB4)* (1985) offers a rare glimpse into the preparatory mind of one of Minimalism's pioneering sculptors. Created late in Bladen's career—just three years before his death—this graphite drawing on wove paper captures preliminary sketches for monumental sculptures, including the angular, imposing "Black Tower." Measuring an expansive 52.55 × 107.95 cm, the sheet's vast horizontal format mirrors the ambitious scale of Bladen's three-dimensional works, allowing for dynamic exploration of form and proportion. Bladen, a Canadian-Amer...