© Estate of Louise Nevelson / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Currently not on view
Model for Atmosphere and Environment X,
1968
Louise Nevelson, 1899–1988; born Pereiaslav, Ukraine; died New York, NY; active New York
y1969-8
Standing between Nassau Street and Firestone Library, Atmosphere and Environment X is Nevelson’s first monumental sculpture in Cor-Ten steel, made when the artist was in her seventies. Constructed from intricate shapes cut from thick metal sheets, the rectilinear forms of the sculpture interact, creating an interplay among space, light, and the shadows cast upon its surface. The shifting position of the sun and the variation in natural light generate a constantly changing perceptual experience—the light effects vary hour to hour and day to day. Nevelson’s choice of material, Cor-Ten, or weathering steel, is also responsive to the outdoor environment: it develops a protective layer of rust when
exposed to the elements.
exposed to the elements.
Information
Title
Model for Atmosphere and Environment X
Dates
1968
Maker
Medium
Black-painted Cor-Ten steel
Dimensions
36.3 cm x base 25.5 cm x 14.5 cm (14 5/16 x 10 1/16 x 5 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Object Number
y1969-8
Culture
Type
Materials
Louise Nevelson, New York, New York, gift; to Princeton University Art Museum, 1969.
- "Acquisitions 1969", Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 29, no. 1 (1970): p. 16-27., p. 25
- Patrick Joseph Kelleher, Living with Modern Sculpture: the John B. Putnam, Jr., Memorial Collection, (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Art Museum, 1982)., cat. no. 3; p. 44-47
- Allen Rosenbaum and Francis F. Jones, Selections from The Art Museum, Princeton University, (Princeton, NJ: The Art Museum, Princeton University, 1986), p. 100 (illus.)
