The Fondation Maeght presents a retrospective of the work of leading British artist Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975), a leading figure in several avant-garde movements who drew inspiration from multiple sources.
Following the exhibition of contemporary artist Hélène Delprat in spring 2025, the Fondation Maeght continues to bring major modern artists back into the spotlight, as it did with Jean Paul Riopelle in 2023.
Barbara Hepworth: Art & Life takes visitors on a journey through the defining moments of one of Britain’s most celebrated sculptors. The exhibition traces Hepworth’s evolution—from the bold modernist pieces of the 1920s and 30s that first made her name, through the striking rope sculptures of the 40s and 50s, to the monumental commissions that crowned her later career. It’s a retrospective that shows not just her artistic growth, but the way she drew on music, dance, science, space exploration, politics, religion, and even the milestones of her own personal life to shape a unique vision of art and existence.
The story begins with Hepworth’s Yorkshire origins, revealed through archival photographs and material that shed light on her early years. Visitors can see her first sketches, sculptures, and paintings—works that already hint at her fascination with movement and the human form. A passionate advocate of direct carving, Hepworth had a remarkable ability to let natural materials like wood and stone speak for themselves while also pushing forward a radically new abstract language. Among the highlights is Carving (1932), the earliest surviving example of her pioneering use of the “pierced form.” Its companion piece was lost in the war, making this rare loan from a private collection an especially exciting inclusion in the show.
Hepworth’s desire to break free from academic traditions was reinforced during her trip to Paris in 1933, where she met the major figures of the European avant-garde, including Jean Arp, Constantin Brancusi, and Pablo Picasso. Her shift towards abstraction in the 1930s is evident in Discs with Echelon (1935), a boldly geometric work created shortly after the birth of her triplets, an event that she believes prompted her to explore a more assertive sculptural language.
A rare piece of her early plaster sculptures, created during World War II, at a time when materials were scarce, is also presented alongside drawings made during this period. Hepworth once described her sketches as “my sculptures disguised as two-dimensional,” and it’s easy to see why. From the 1940s onwards, her work began to absorb the character of the landscapes around her. Whether through paintings, prints, textiles, or sculpture, she translated the essence of place into form. Cornwall’s rugged coastline and Greece’s sunlit terrain both left their mark, shaping a sculptural language that feels at once rooted in nature and deeply personal.
Dance, politics, spirituality, and science all left their mark on Barbara Hepworth’s art. One part of the exhibition focuses on her deep fascination with music and movement, showcased in gestural metal works like Involute II and Curved Form (Pavan), which seem to capture rhythm in solid form. By the 1960s, Hepworth was firmly established as a cultural figure, creating monumental public sculptures and pushing boundaries with new materials. The show also delves into her response to the space age—most memorably Disc with Strings (Moon) (1969), made in the same year Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, alongside graphic works that reach outward to the stars and cosmos.
Deeply spiritual and intensely attentive to the political and technological changes of her time, Hepworth explored sculpture physically. Through her work, she opened a space for reflection and a shift in how we perceive the world around us.
The Fondation Maeght is one of the few European institutions to own a work by this major artist (Figure (Walnut), pictured above) which was donated by Hepworth herself back in the 1960s.
The exhibition closes with a sweeping look at Hepworth’s entire body of work, drawing attention to the three sculptural forms she revisited time and again, each explored in different materials. It also shines a light on her late printmaking, marked by a delicate yet confident use of colour. Works from her final years reveal her enduring dedication to landscape and spirituality, while her luminous surfaces and vibrant palettes speak to something larger—a universal vision of the human experience distilled through abstraction.
‘Barbara Hepworth is one of the most important artists of the 20th century, with a unique artistic vision that demands to be looked at in-depth. This exhibition will shine a light on Hepworth’s wide-ranging interests and how they infused her art practice. Deeply spiritual and passionately engaged with political, social and technological debates in the 20th century, Hepworth was obsessed with how the physical encounter with sculpture could impact the viewer and alter their perception of the world.’
— Eleanor Clayton, Curator
VISITOR INFORMATION
Barbara Hepworth: Art & Life runs until 2nd November, 2025 at the Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul de Vence.
Tickets may be purchased online or on site and cost €18. Concession rates are also available. For group visits, please contact the reservation service accueil@fondation-maeght.com
The Fondation is open daily from 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. (10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m throughout August).
Please note that backpacks are not permitted in the exhibition spaces and must be left in the cloakroom.
CONTACT DETAILS
Fondation Maeght
623, Chemin des Gardettes
06570 Saint-Paul de Vence
Tel: 04 93 32 81 63
All photos and images courtesy Fondation Maeght; lead image Barbara Hepworth in the garden with Curved Form (Pavan), R.W.Kochalski; all other images as credited
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