Items Similar to Robert E. Kuhn, American Cubist Wrought Iron Wall Sculpture of a Violinist, 1959
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 12
Robert E. Kuhn, American Cubist Wrought Iron Wall Sculpture of a Violinist, 1959
$6,500
£4,951.92
€5,651.31
CA$9,134.04
A$9,954.49
CHF 5,271.33
MX$119,563.96
NOK 66,736.25
SEK 61,357.42
DKK 42,209.04
About the Item
American Cubism
Robert E. Kuhn
A Violinist
Wrought Iron Wall Sculpture
Dated 1959
DIMENSONS
Height: 33 in (83.82 cm)
Width: 12 in (30.48 cm)
Depth: 8 in (20.32 cm)
MARKINGS
Signature: Signed on violin; dated [1959] on reverse
MEDIUM
Welded and painted wrought iron
ABOUT SCULPTURE
This is a rare and compelling work by a notable mid-century American sculptor Robert E. Kuhn that captures a moment of introspection as an abstracted musician gently pauses between notes. Executed in welded and hand-painted wrought iron, the piece distills the form of a violinist into an elegant interplay of geometric shapes and textured surfaces—hallmarks of Kuhn’s distinctive style. Dating to 1959, the sculpture reflects the influence of modernist abstraction while remaining deeply expressive. The violin, central to the composition, bears the artist's signature, while the reverse is dated by hand. Its dimensionality and dynamic contours make it ideal for display on a wall, where light and shadow further animate the figure’s quiet energy. In very good vintage condition, with expected wear consistent with age.
ABOUT ARTIST
Robert E. Kuhn (American, 1917–2000) was an American modernist sculptor and painter best known for his evocative metal wall sculptures created in the mid-20th century. Working primarily in welded and painted wrought iron, Kuhn developed a distinctive style that blended elements of Cubism, abstraction, and figurative expression. His compositions often featured musicians, dancers, and stylized human forms, distilled into dynamic geometric arrangements that emphasized rhythm, movement, and emotional depth.
Born in 1917 in the United States, Kuhn came of age during a time of significant transformation in the American art scene. Although details of his formal training remain limited, his work demonstrates an informed engagement with the modernist movements that shaped mid-century art, including the influences of Picasso, González, and American abstraction. By the 1950s, Kuhn had begun to exhibit a mature style characterized by the use of industrial materials—most notably wrought iron—and a highly personal visual vocabulary.
Kuhn’s work gained attention for its originality and craftsmanship. Unlike purely decorative metalwork of the era, his sculptures conveyed narrative and introspection, often capturing fleeting human gestures, such as a musician pausing between notes or a dancer mid-step. These figures, though abstracted, are imbued with a sense of presence and emotional resonance.
Throughout his career, Kuhn created both standalone sculptures and large-scale wall pieces, many of which found homes in private collections and public institutions. Though he never sought widespread fame, his work was respected by collectors and critics alike for its quiet intensity and sculptural finesse.
Robert E. Kuhn passed away in 2000, leaving behind a compelling body of work that continues to reflect the spirit and experimentation of postwar American art. His sculptures remain valued for their expressive synthesis of modernist form and humanistic content.
- Creator:Robert E. Kuhn (Artist)
- Dimensions:Height: 33 in (83.82 cm)Width: 12 in (30.48 cm)Depth: 8 in (20.32 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1959
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. We make our best effort to provide a fair and descriptive condition report. Please examine photos attentively, as they are part of the description. Send us a message to request more details or discuss price.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2819346385082
About the Seller
5.0
Platinum Seller
Premium sellers with a 4.7+ rating and 24-hour response times
Established in 1993
1stDibs seller since 2017
92 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 2 hours
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: New York, NY
- Return Policy
More From This Seller
View AllHarlequin, American Cubist Modernist Welded Metal Sculpture, ca. 1970s
Located in New York, NY
About sculpture
This figurative sculpture of a Harlequin standing in a relaxed pose is unusual not only in the choice of materials; but, most importantly, due to the unusual combina...
Category
Vintage 1970s American Brutalist Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Metal
Abstract Cubist Bronze Sculpture Signed DN, XX Century
Located in New York, NY
Vintage
Abstract Cubist Sculpture
Bronze Granite
XX Century
DIMENSIONS
Height: 7 inches Width: 3-3/8 inches Depth: 3-3/8 inches
ABOUT
This is a brillia...
Category
20th Century American Brutalist Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Sébastien Tamari, Femme Nu, French Modernist Patinated Bronze Sculpture, 1960s
By Sebastien Tamari
Located in New York, NY
Sébastien Tamari (French, 1900-1991)
1900 Birth in Baku of Sébastien Tamari (Russian Empire).
1920 He left his hometown due to political events. He travelled through the Caucas...
Category
Vintage 1960s French Modern Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Shout, Mid-Century Modern Patinated Bronze Sculpture, Signed “Igor 67”
By Igor
Located in New York, NY
Signed “Igor ’67”, this beautifully cast patinated bronze sculpture depicts a woman on tiptoe, arms folded across h?? chest, head up and screaming with all her might, mouth wide open...
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Enid Bell Palanchian, Tackle, Modernist Carved Mahogany Sculpture, ca. 1953
By Enid Bell Palanchian
Located in New York, NY
DIMENSIONS height: 23 inches width; 12 inches depth: 6 inches
MARKINGS Signed at the bottom in back.
DETAILS Original hand-crafted black-painted wood plinth.
REFERENCES Originally, sold to Papillon Gallery of Los Angeles.
CONDITION Excellent antique condition, wear consistent with age and use.
Enid Bell Palanchian (American, 1904 – 1994) a/k/a Mrs. E. B. Palanchian, Mrs. Enid Bell Palanchian and Mrs. Missak Palanchian was an important American sculptor, author, illustrator and professor who was primarily active in the New York/New Jersey area, but who established a respected body of work recognized throughout Europe and the United States as reflected by awards received in Paris, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico and Florida. Her achievements included numerous public works projects (e.g., the design of the Congressional Gold Medal) on display at public institutions and museums around the country, private commissions and sales throughout the world, group and solo exhibitions, generous donations of art and compilations, and the passing on of her knowledge and skills to 24 years of art students of the Newark School of Industrial and Fine Arts.
Enid Bell was born in London, England, and later studied at the Glasgow School of Art and then at the St. John’s Wood Art School; as well as studying with fellow Scot Sir William Reid Dick in London. Then, after moving to the United States, she taught at the Art Student League in New York City at Miss Chapen’s School. Essentially a figurative, direct carving in wood artist, she was based in New Jersey where she became the head of the sculpture program of the Fedral Art Project for that state and was herself the creator of several FAP commissions. In 1932, she married Armenian/American businessman and artist, Missalk Palanchian athough she retained her name “Bell” for professional purposes. Following the end of the Federal Art Project in 1944, she taught as instructor of sculpture and Head of the Sculpture Department of the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art until 1968, and was active was a member of the National Sculpture Society. Enid Bell died in 1994 in Englewood, New Jersey.
WORK
• Birds, Leonia Public Library in Leonia New Jersey (installed 1981)
• Untitled, Boonton Post Office in Boonton, New Jersey (1938)
• Boonton Post Office, Boonton, New Jersey
• Colonizing America, Center for Youth Education, Newark, New Jersey, (1934)
• Little Indian Dancer, Englewood Public Library, Englewood, New Jersey
• Alexander Hamilton Troy Public Library in Troy, New York
• bird bath, Music, Science, Union City...
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Mahogany
Giorgio A. Roccamonte, Robot, Abstract Modern Chromed Metal Sculpture, Ca. 1960
By Giorgio Amelio Roccamonte
Located in New York, NY
ABOUT ARTIST
Giorgio Amelio Roccamonte a/k/a Elio Roccamonte (Argentine/Italian, Buenos Aires, 1927 - Rome, 1980) was a renown Italian sculp...
Category
Vintage 1960s Argentine Modern Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Metal
You May Also Like
“The Violinist” Sculpture by Antoine Berbery
Located in Beirut, LB
Modernist violinist sculpture by the Lebanese artist Antoine Berbery, consist of iron metal in dark grey color depicting a violinist man standing on a white marble terrace.
The scul...
Category
Late 20th Century Lebanese Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Metal
Mid 20th Century Bronze Sculpture entitled "Cellist" by Bernard Kim
By Bernard Kim
Located in London, GB
"Cellist" by Bernard Kim
A striking mid 20th Century modernist bronze study of a seated man playing a cello with very fine colour and detail
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Height: ...
Category
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
1970s Iron Warrior Sculpture By Alex Kovacs
Located in Tarrytown, NY
1970s Iron warrior sculpture on a wood base signed Alex Kovacs.
Category
Vintage 1970s Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Iron
Vintage "Broken Fiddle" Bronze Violin Sculpture on Stand by Chaim Hendin
By Chaim Hendin
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage "Broken Fiddle" Bronze/Brass Violin Brutalist Sculpture on Stand by Chaim Hendin (Israeli, B. 1920). "Broken Fiddle" is a memorial to musicians who died in the Holocaust. Art...
Category
Late 20th Century Unknown Brutalist Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
"The Violinist"
"The Wait" Iron Sculptures by J-A Delattre, France, 20th Cent.
Located in PARIS, FR
The Violinist – Height : 97 cm (38,1 in.) ; Width : 30 cm (11,8 in.) ; Depth : 43 cm (16,9 in.)
The Wait – Height : 93 cm (36,6 in.) ; Width : 36 cm (14,1 in.) ; Depth : 41 cm (16,1 in.)
Beautiful pair of wrought iron sculptures representing a violinist and a man holding a rose sheltering with an umbrella under a street lamp.
These sculptures are the work of Jean-Alexandre Delattre, a French sculptor born in 1935 and who died in 2022, who specialized in the production of slender wrought iron sculptures, representing sportsmen, jobs or situations. J-A Delattre has also achieved numerous sports trophies...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Iron
$17,710 Sale Price / set
20% Off
Franz Hagenauer, Violinist Sculpture, 1920s, Silvered Bronze
Wood
By Werkstätte Hagenauer Wien
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Step into the enchanting world of the 1920s with Franz Hagenauer's Violinist Sculpture—a symphony of artistic brilliance. Crafted from silvered bronze and wood, this masterpiece embo...
Category
Vintage 1920s Austrian Art Deco Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
$2,871 Sale Price
20% Off













