The Hepworth Estate, and thence by descent
Acquired by a Private Collection through the New Art Centre in 2003

London, Marlborough Fine Art, Barbara Hepworth: Recent Work: Sculpture, Paintings, Prints, 11th February - 13th March 1970, cat. no.26 (another cast);
London, Gimpel Fils, Barbara Hepworth, 7th October - 15th November 1975, cat. no.56 (another cast);
Hakone, Japan, Hakone Open-Air Museum, Barbara Hepworth, 1st June - 15th September 1970, cat. no.37, illustrated (another cast);
Plymouth, City Art Gallery, Barbara Hepworth, 16th June - 16th August 1970, cat. no.60 (another cast);
Galashiels, Scottish College of Textiles, Barbara Hepworth, 1978-9, cat. no.25 (another cast), with Scottish Arts Council tour to Museum and Art Gallery, Inverness, Museum and Art Gallery, Dundee, Lillie Art Gallery, Milngavie, Museum and Art Gallery, Hawick, Maclaurin Art Gallery, Ayr, and Talbot Rice Art Centre, Edinburgh;
Salisbury, New Art Centre, Barbara Hepworth, Polished Bronzes, 2001, un-numbered catalogue, illustrated.

Alan Bowness (ed.), The Complete Sculpture of Barbara Hepworth, 1960-69, Lund Humphries, London, 1971, cat. no.487, illustrated pp.48-9, (another cast).

Structurally sound. The work has recently benefited from a re-polish. There are some very minor pin-hole casting marks visible to the surface. These are only visible upon very close inspection and do not detract from the overall appearance of the work. There are one or two very minor old scratches to the front face of the top square. This excepting the work appears to be in very good overall condition. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

We are grateful to Dr. Sophie Bowness for her kind assistance with the cataloguing apparatus for the present work, which will feature in her forthcoming revised catalogue raisonné of the Artist's sculpture as catalogue number BH487.

'The importance of light in relation to form will always interest me … Light gives full play to our tactile perceptions through the experience of our eyes’ (Hepworth quoted in exhibition catalogue, Barbara Hepworth Polished Bronzes, Ne⛦w Art Centre Sculpture Park & Gallery, East Winterslow, 2001, un-numbered).

Three Forms- Extra Eye was executed in 1969, at a time when Hepworth had achieved international public recognition and this work with its elegant golden solidity is a beautiful example of Hepworth’s mature sculpture. During the 1960s Hepworth became increasingly interested in multi-part sculptures, both in bronze and marble, in which she explored the placement and grouping of forms into balanced compositions. Hepworth experimented in a series of works with the arrangement of overlapping squares, suggesting a return to a more geometrically organised and architectural quality. These were conceived both as table-top pieces such as the present work, but also as life size works such as Four-Square (Walk Through) (BH433, Hepworth, Tate, St Ives).&nꦺbsp;In these works Hepworth explores the relationship between circular&nbs﷽p;curves and straight lines.

However, the title evokes a more human element to the work, or perhaps it refers to our visual experience as we are drawn to the three hollowed-out holes arranged at various angles so that they are impossible to look through at one time. The circles are given depth through the use of 🎃a rich blue-green patina which contrasts with the golden finish of highly polished bronze. The reflection of the light on the polished bronze and the glimpses of the background space through the piercings are an indication of Hepworth’s interest in incorporating the surrounding environment into her work.

The introduction of piercing to Hepworth’s abstract work dates from as early as 1932 with Pierced Form (now lost) and was to become one of the most significant themes of her sculptural language. The abstract piercings in her work eliminated the concept of the closed form and opened new possibilities in the ex꧋ploration of the relationship between space, environment and form.