Antoine Pevsner For Older Children

Silhouette of sculpture

Column of Peace

1954

Antoine Pevsner

French, born in Russia, 1886–1962

Subject: Symbols

Activity: Making a symbolic, geometric image

Materials: Pencil, paper, ruler

Vocabulary: bronze, diagonal, geometric abstraction, symbol

Introduction

Antoine Pevsner was born in Russia and began his career as a painter. Later he moved to Paris, France, and Oslo, Norway. He went back to Russia and began making sculptures, and eventually he returned to France where he lived thereafter. Many of the places where he lived during his lifetime were engaged in war. This sculpture by Antonine Pevsner was created as a symbol of hope.

Unlike Beverly Pepper, who used horizontal and vertical lines in her sculptures, Antoine Pevsner used diagonal lines originally described as “lines of force.” These lines suggest movement and were made by using thin metal rods cast into bronze. Antoine Pevsner’s style was geometric abstraction.

Questions

Do the columns make diagonal, horizontal, or vertical lines?

What mood do these lines convey?

What do you think the title means?

What material was used to create this sculpture?

Activity

Antoine Pevsner used diagonal lines to create this sculpture. Using a ruler, make an abstract drawing with diagonal lines that symbolizes peace. Would your drawing look different if you had used horizontal and vertical lines? How?

Vocabulary

Bronze – a metal that has a golden brown color

Diagonal – positioned on a slant

Geometric abstraction – geometric shapes that are not realistic

Symbol – a sign that represents something