Provenance:

William K. Jacobs, Jr.

Brooklyn Museum, New York, bequest from the above, 1992.

Lot Note:

Robert Edward Kuhn was an American modernist best known for lyrical, figurative sculptures assembled from welded metal. Born in Michigan, Kuhn trained at the Art Institute of Chicago, spent formative periods in Mexico, and established his career in Washington, D.C., before retreating to Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.  

Beginning in the early 1950s, he became an early practitioner of welded sculpture, transforming industrial materials into animated figures characterized by elongated proportions, rhythmic silhouettes, and a playful sense of movement. Performers recur throughout his work, including musicians, skaters, and other figures caught in moments of concentrated action. This places Dancer firmly within one of the artist’s most recognizable thematic currents. 

Seen at close range, the sculpture reveals joined and overlapping metal sections, irregularly textured passages, raised seams, and prominent weld marks, all unified by a dark, reflective surface. Monumental in scale yet intimate in gesture, Dancer encapsulates Kuhn’s ability to draw warmth, humor, and expressive movement from the seemingly unyielding language of metal. 

Overall: 61 x 17 x 21 in.

Sculpture is attached to a wooden base. Moderate deposits of surface dirt and dust in crevasses. Rubbing with associated wear to patina on right hip, rear, and chest. Additional images available upon request.

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