Barbara Hepworth's Sculpture with Colour (Eos) will feature in Christie's modern British and Irish art evening sale in London on October 21. The work carries an estimate of £5 million to £8 million.
Carved in 1946 from a single piece of Hopton Wood limestone, the sculpture stands about two feet tall. Its rounded form has three hollowed sections, each painted a different shade: pale gray, off-white and deep blue. The work is an early example of Hepworth incorporating color into her sculpture.
The piece has been part of Hepworth's artistic story for decades, appearing in her first postwar solo gallery exhibition in 1946. It was also included in the 2025 exhibition "Hepworth in Colour" at London's Courtauld. Christie's says the sculpture was previously sold at the auction house in 2016 for $5.4 million.
As the work returns to auction, its journey offers a fresh opportunity to consider Hepworth's exploration of form and color--and how modern art continues to shape cultural heritage for future generations.
