Dame Barbara Hepworth (1903 - 1974) was a Sculptor and Artist who was one of the early pioneers of abstract sculpture  in England.  Many of her works incorporated lyrical forms with close connection to the feeling and form of the materials that she used in her work making Barbara Hepworth one of the most influential sculptors of the mid-20th century.

At the breakout of World War II Barbara Hepworth moved from London to Cornwall with her husband Ben Nicholson and their young family. Setting up a home and studios in the buildings and gardens of Trewyn studios in St Ives where she lived and worked from 1949 until her death in 1975. Following her death, her home, studio and garden became the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey recently visited St Ives and went on a guided touch tour of some of Barbara Hepworth’s work that is on display in the museum and gardens of the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden.

The guided touch tour of the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden was lead by trained guides Sarah and Rose included tours of; Infant - wood carved sculpture of a baby 1929, Four Square Walk Through - bronze squares 1966 and Poised Form - Purbeck marble on concrete base 1951 - 52, re-worked 1957. 

Toby was also joined by Cassie Penn, Assistant Curator of Public programmes at Tate St Ives who gave a bit of background and history to the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, why Barbara Hepworth moved down to St Ives at the beginning of World War II along with the history of the buildings and garden that became her home and studio and now the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden and talking about her favourite examples of Barbara Hepworth’s work.  

The Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden in St Ives, Cornwall is managed by Tate St Ives and during the year offers bookable guided touch tours of many of Barbara Hepworth’s work which is on display in the museum and Garden.

Tours need to be booked in advance by calling 01736 791 177 and more details about the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden can be found on the following pages of the Tate website - https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-st-ives/barbara-hepworth-museum-and-sculpture-garden

(Image shows Four Square Walk Though, a 4.2 meter tall bronze sculpture by Barbara Hepworth made in 1966. The sculpture consists of a base square and 4 separate bronze squares with circles cut into them stacked on top. Two squares face each other on opposite sides of the base with two perpendicular squares stacked on top, above head height. There is a child in the bottom right corner of the photograph looking up towards the top of the sculpture)