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Louise Nevelson

1899–1988

Untitled No. 16 1983
© ARS, NY and DACS, London 2025
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In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Rooms

1 artworks by Louise Nevelson
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Biography

Louise Nevelson (September 23, 1899 – April 17, 1988) was an American sculptor known for her monumental, monochromatic, wooden wall pieces and outdoor sculptures. Born in the Poltava Governorate of the Russian Empire (present-day Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine), she emigrated with her family to the United States in the early 20th century. Nevelson learned English at school, as she spoke Yiddish at home.

By the early 1930s she was attending art classes at the Art Students League of New York, and in 1941 she had her first solo exhibition. Nevelson experimented with early conceptual art using found objects, and experimented with painting and printing before dedicating her lifework to sculpture. Usually created out of wood, her sculptures appear puzzle-like, with multiple intricately cut pieces placed into wall sculptures or independently standing pieces, often 3-D. The sculptures are typically painted in monochromatic black or white.

A prominent figure in the international art scene, Nevelson participated in the 31st Venice Biennale. Her work has been included in museum and corporate collections in Europe and North America. Nevelson remains one of the most important figures in 20th-century American sculpture.

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Artworks

Left Right
  • Dancing Figure

    Louise Nevelson
    c.1953–5
    View by appointment
  • Black Wall

    Louise Nevelson
    1959
  • An American Tribute to the British People

    Louise Nevelson
    1960–4
  • Untitled No. 34

    Louise Nevelson
    1980
  • Untitled No. 15

    Louise Nevelson
    1981
  • Untitled No. 16

    Louise Nevelson
    1983
  • Untitled No. 40

    Louise Nevelson
    1983

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  • TateShots

    Louise Nevelson: ‘New York is my mirror’

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