Our site saves small pieces of text information (cookies) on your device in order to deliver better content and for statistical purposes. You can disable the usage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser. By browsing our website without changing the browser settings you grant us permission to store that information on your device.
I acceptI refuse
A dedicated area on the third floor showcases a collection of works by Jacques Lipchitz, featuring 21 plaster sculptures and 43 drawings donated to the City of Prato by the foundation that bears his name. This impressive selection highlights the full spectrum of the illustrious Lithuanian-born sculptor's artistic career.
Among the works on display are the bas-relief with Mythological Scene (1911), one of the first works realised in Paris, and the striking Harlequin with Mandolin (1920), of Cubist inspiration. To the period lived in the United States belongs Mother and Child II, the first sculpture created in New York in 1941. Finally, the highly evocative The Last Embrace (1970-1971), one of the artist's last creations.
Lipchitz received his education in Paris during a period when the city was the epicentre of the art world. There, he formed friendships with notable figures such as Amedeo Modigliani, Juan Gris and Pablo Picasso. In 1941, following the Nazi occupation of France, he was forced to move to the United States due to his Jewish origins. He returned to Europe in 1963 and spent long periods in Italy, particularly in Pietrasanta.
The history of the Prato donation began in 1974. Yulla Lipchitz, having been widowed for only a few months, visited Prato with Henry Moore to attend the inauguration of his sculpture Squared Shape with a Cut in Piazza San Marco. She was deeply moved by the enthusiasm for art displayed by the people of Prato and suggested the possibility of donating a portion of her husband’s collection of plaster casts. That idea materialised in 2011 thanks to the Prato collector Giuliano Gori and the art historian Kosme de Barañano, who helped re-establish relations between the municipality and Hanno D. Mott, Yulla's son.
The sculptures, which had remained in the artist's studio in New York for almost 40 years, presented considerable preservation problems when they arrived in Prato. However, the patient work of the restorers of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence restored them to their original beauty.
The drawings and sculptures in the Prato collection offer a unique opportunity to trace the evolution of Lipchitz's creative journey: from the initial sketch of an idea, through the stages of refinement on paper, to the plaster models that served as foundations for his final works in more enduring materials like bronze and marble. They document his entire artistic career, ranging from Cubism to later surrealistic tendencies to the more rounded and 'classical' forms that characterise his recent works.
