Chapter 5: Barbara Hepworth's sculpture- "Two Figures"

   There is a sculpture in chapter 5 that I would like to blog about. It is a creation of Barbara Hepworth and it is titled the "Two Figures". Our text suggests her sculpture is similar to an ancient Egyptian work in stone identified as, "King Menkaure and His Queen". Unlike this "realistic" work, these later figures are "non-representational" and only suggest realism through the sculptor's choices.
For example,  "standing vertical masses" that are similar to "standing human forms". Another difference is the media  this modern artist chooses. Which are carved elmwood and white paint. For instance, when I view the standing mass on my right side, I see a "female" figure. That female figure appears to have a narrow feminine "waist" and wider "hips" than her "male" counterpart on my left. That male figure seems to have a more masculine silhouette than that possessed by his more curvaceous neighbor. She seems almost "arm-in-arm" with the figure on her right. They seem to form a "couple", as they gently tilt their respective "heads" toward each other. The elmwood wrapping seems to suggest clothing to me. I agree with our text that the use of "negative space", highlighted by white paint, suggests "anatomical features". However, I have a different interpretation of what some of these might be. I agree that the top indentation represents "his" head. But I see the topmost negative space representing a heart on both figures rather than " a breast". (Once considered the locus of positive emotions like love.) I see the bottom negative space as possibly the liver. (What use to be thought of as the seat of negative emotions like hate.) I feel a strong bond exists between this "couple". Of course, that's just my personal view. (However, our book implies there are no right or wrong answers, when it comes to experiencing art!) I enjoy the subject matter of this work of art and how it is formally realized by this sculptor. I would love to see this sculpture in person. Then I could walk around it and see its back and judge its texture, et cetera.