Interpretation
Cubi XIII is part of David Smith's final and most famed series of sculptures. Smith polished the stainless steel so that it would reflect the changing colors of its surroundings, especially when placed outdoors, among trees. Although the burnished surface is constructed of basic geometric shapes, it also reveals a painter's sensibility.
Information
- Title
- Cubi XIII
- Object Number
- y1969-19
- Maker
- David Smith
- Medium
- Stainless steel
- Dates
- 1963
- Dimensions
- 289.6 x 208.6 x 55.2 cm. (114 x 82 1/8 x 21 3/4 in.)
- Credit Line
- The John B. Putnam Jr. Memorial Collection, Princeton University
- Culture
- American
- Signatures
- On base: Cubi XIII David Smith Mar-25 1963
- Type
- Materials
- Edward Fry, David Smith (New York: The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1969), cat. no. 94
- Patricia Elsen and Catherine C. Brawer, "College museum notes", Art journal 30, no. 1 (Autumn, 1970): pp. 54-58+60+62+64+66+68+70+72+74+76-81), p. 56 (illus.)
- Sanford C. Reynolds, Jr., John N. Brooks, Jr., Edmund L. Keeley, James M. Markham, and John A. McPhee, the editorial board, "The Putnam sculpture: 20th Century masterpieces give dramatic perspectives to Princeton's familiar vistas", Princeton alumni weekly 70 (Jan. 27, 1970): p. 1214, 15
- Patrick Joseph Kelleher, Living with Modern Sculpture: the John B. Putnam, Jr., Memorial Collection, (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Art Museum, 1982)., cat. no. 19, pp. 108–11
- Kay Wagenknecht-Harte, Site + Sculpture: The Collaborative Design Process (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1989), fig. 5.02
- Jane McCarthy and Laurily K. Epstein, A guide to the sculpture parks and gardens of America, (New York, NY: Michael Kesend Pub., 1996).
- Candida N. Smith, Irving Sandler, and Jerry L. Thompson, The Fields of David Smith (Storm King Art Center; London: Thames & Hudson, 1999), p. 126 (illus.)
- Karin Dienst, ed., Sculpture of Princeton University: including works from the John B. Putnam Jr. Memorial Collection, (Princeton, NJ: Published by the Office of Communications, in association with the Princeton University Art Museum, 2004)., 2–3, illus.
- John Wilmerding et al., American Art in the Princeton University Art Museum: volume 1: drawings and watercolors, (Princeton: Princeton University Art Museum; New Haven, CT; London: Yale University Press, 2004), p. 42, fig. 39
- David Smith on the Roof (May 1–November 15, 2000)
- The Fields of David Smith (May 15–November 15, 1999)
- David Smith (1969 Retrospective) (March 29–November 1969)
- David Smith 1906–1965 (May 15, 1966–May 28, 1967)
- 54-64: Painting and Sculpture of a Decade: Tate Gallery (April 22–June 28, 1964)
Feedback
The Museum regularly researches its objects and their collecting histories, updating its records to reflect new information. We also strive to catalogue works of art using language that is consistent with how people, subjects, artists, and cultures describe themselves. As this effort is ongoing, the Museum’s records may be incomplete or contain terms that are no longer acceptable. We welcome your feedback, questions, and additional information that you feel may be useful to us. Email us at collectionsinfo@princeton.edu.
Want to use an image from the Museum's collections? Review our image use and access policies.