Cubi XXVI
1965
Artist, American, 1906 - 1965
Before he became an artist, David Smith was a welder in a car factory. Can you tell? We know this steel sculpture is welded together, but the geometric forms seem precariously balanced. A little square cube bears much of the weight. Above it, a tall vertical piece leans back a bit too far while a cylinder reaches for stability. The burnished surface of the sculpture reflects light, so the work appears to change from different angles. Cubi XXVI also picks up the colors of the Sculpture Garden and the sky above it.
Sculpture Garden, Southwest Quadrant
Artwork overview
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Medium
stainless steel
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Credit Line
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Dimensions
overall: 303.4 x 383.4 x 65.6 cm (119 7/16 x 150 15/16 x 25 13/16 in.)
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Accession
1978.14.1
Artwork history & notes
Provenance
The artist [1906-1965], Bolton Landing, New York; Phillip and Helen B. Stern, Washington, D.C.; purchased 1978 by NGA.
Associated Names
Exhibition History
1966
David Smith, Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, 1966.
1975
Sculpture: American Directions, National Collection of Fine Arts, Smithsonian Institution, 1975, unnumbered checklist
1982
David Smith: Seven Major Themes, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1982-1983, p. 223, repro.
1983
Twentieth Century Painting and Modern Sculpture, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Japan, 1983.
1986
David Smith: Skulpturen - Zeichnungen, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf; Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt am Main, Federal Republic of Germany; Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, England, 1986-1987.
1995
The Spirit of American Sculpture: American Art Museum Collections [Twentieth Century American Sculpture at The White House, Exhibition II], The White House, Washington, D.C., 1995, unnumbered brochure, repro.
Bibliography
1966
Greenberg, Clement. "David Smith." Art In America 54 (January 1966): 27-32
1971
Krauss, Rosalind E. Terminal Iron Works. Cambridge, 1971.
1980
Wilmerding, John. American Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Art. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1980: 36, repro.
1984
Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Rev. ed. New York, 1984: 651, no. 1032, repro.
1988
Wilmerding, John. American Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Art. Rev. ed. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1988: 44, repro.
1989
Strick, Jeremy. Twentieth Century Painting and Sculpture: Selections for the Tenth Anniversary of the East Building. Washington, D.C., 1989: repro. 104, 105.
1994
Sculpture: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1994: 220, repro.
1995
Marshall, Albert. "A Study of the Surfaces of David Smith's Sculpture." in Studies in the History of Art 51 (1995): 97, 101.
2000
Torres, Louis and Michelle Marder Kamhi. What Art Is: The Esthetic Theory of Ayn Rand. Peru, Illinois, 2000: 410, nt. 196
2013
Cigola, Francesca. Art Parks: A Tour of America’s Sculpture Parks and Gardens. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2013: 101.
Inscriptions
on top of bar projecting from cube: David Smith / January 12 1965 / CUBI XXVI
Wikidata ID
Q5192232