MARGARETT SARGENT (1892-1978)

  • MARGARETT W. MCKEAN SARGENT (1892-1978)

  • Stepping Out, 1916
  • Bronze
  • 14 x 6 x 8 inches
  • Signed and dated on base

Stepping Out is a rare surviving early sculpture, as many of her works were destroyed by a fire in her studio during the 1960s. Here, a young woman stands before a wall. As she pulls forward, clutching and pressing against the wall, she seems unable to free herself–as if the weight of her surroundings were restricting her movements.The melancholic expression of the woman, in combination with the dark patina of the bronze and rough impressionistic modeling, contributes to the overall emotive quality of the work.It may be possible to see this work in an autobiographical context, as Sargent too felt oppressed and restricted by the demands of her high-society upbringing, and it was around this time in 1916 that she began to gain independence and became influenced by her ever-growing circle of bohemian friends and artists.

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MARGARETT W. MCKEAN SARGENT  Stepping Out