Hand and Mask Ernst Neizvestny (1925 - 2016) 20th Century
Hand and Mask
20th Century
Ernst Neizvestny (1925 - 2016)
Bronze
7 1/2 x 4 3/4 x 4 inches / 19 x 12 x 10 cm
Inventory number: Scul_EN

Signed “E.Neyz.” on the base

Ernst Iosifovich Neizvestny (April 9, 1925 – August 9, 2016) was a Russian-American sculptor, painter, graphic artist, and art philosopher. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1976 and lived and worked in New York City. His last name in Russian literally means “unknown”.

American playwright Arthur Miller once described Neizvestny as an “artist of the East” who is regarded by Russians as an “expression of the country, of its soul, language, and spirit” and as a “prophet of the future” who represents the “philosophical conscience of his country.”

Alexander Calder, the American artist, once said to Neizvestny, “All my life I create the world of children, and you create the world of man.” (as reported by New York City Tribune, March 29, 1988.)