Page 308 - The Legacy of Abraham Rothstein - text

Studies: human

132 Head of a man *
Stone
9” x 7”

133 Head of a man
Stone
10.75” x 7”

145 Head of a man
Stone
6.5” x 4.5”

163 Head of a man
Stone
9.5” x 5.25”

This series of male heads appears under the heading of
“studies” owing to its dearth of detail beyond pure anatomy;
but the fact that it constitutes the largest sequence of similar
subjects in AR’s work points to significance greater than mere
practice and experimentation. Most are carved in stone; the
size and shape of the rocks and small boulders he scavenged
for sculpting may have suggested and limited their form to
human heads. Or he may have sought the medium specifically
to realize his conception: if his mind bore the strong imprint of
patriarchal authority from his childhood in Poland, he might
have been repeatedly recreating that image in stone,
unconsciously echoing the rigidity, intractability and apparent
imperviousness of those forbidding elders. Whether as an act
of respect or catharsis, sculpting them seems to have had a
special meaning for AR.

Further, the heads of pieces in other categories often manifest
the same aspect: bearded, frowning, aged, stern; faces
bespeaking obligation accepted, suffering undergone and
wisdom achieved, in varying measures. It might even be stated
that these heads embody and radiate the essence of AR’s
Judaism, the heavy historical burden lightened by pride in

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