Barbara Hepworth Museum facts for kids
The Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden is a special place in St Ives, Cornwall. It keeps the studio and garden of a famous 20th-century sculptor named Barbara Hepworth just as they were when she lived there. She bought this place in 1949. She worked and lived here for 26 years until she passed away in 1975.
A Look Inside Barbara Hepworth's World
Barbara Hepworth bought her studio, called Trewyn Studio, in 1949. It's a typical stone house found in St Ives. When you visit, you can see her living room. It is still set up just as she left it.
Her workshop is also full of her tools and equipment. You can see materials she used and sculptures she was still working on. It's like she just stepped out for a moment!
The Garden and Sculptures
The museum opened in 1976. Barbara's family followed her wishes from her will. This museum has the largest collection of her artworks on permanent display.
Many of the sculptures are in the quiet garden. These were some of her favorite pieces. In her workshop, you can even see stones. They are still waiting to be carved into new artworks.
In 1950, Barbara got two large blocks of Galway limestone. She carved them into big sculptures. These were for the Festival of Britain. The museum has photos showing how she made them.
She carved wood in an upstairs room. Later, she started making bronze statues in 1956. She first made plaster models in her outdoor studios.
Her friend, Priaulx Rainier, helped her create the beautiful garden. Barbara Hepworth passed away at this site in 1975. She was 72 years old.
In 1980, her family gave the museum to the Tate gallery. The Tate still looks after it today.
See also
- The Hepworth Wakefield
- St Ives artists
- Tate St Ives
- List of single-artist museums
Images for kids
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A close-up of Barbara Hepworth's tools in her workshop.
