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Collections

Jo Davidson
David Ben Gurion1951

Not on view
No image
Artist or Maker
Jo Davidson
Title
David Ben Gurion
Place Made
United States
Date Made
1951
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
17 3/8 x 12 x 11 in. (44.13 x 30.48 x 27.94 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Maury P. Leibovitz
Accession Number
M.83.206.16
Classification
Sculpture
Collecting Area
Modern Art
Curatorial Notes
David Ben-Gurion (1886-1973) served as the first and third prime minister of Israel, 1949-53, 1955-63.
Davidson visited Israel in 1951, eager to meet the people who had played a crucial role in the creation of the new nation, among them Ben-Gurion. The prime minister cooperated in providing the sculptor several hours from his busy schedule. Davidson was much impressed and described Ben-Gurion’s head as "beautiful ... with an aureole of white hair, with blue eyes set deep under bushy eyebrows and a powerful jaw." He portrayed Ben-Gurion as a kindly, but determined elderly man, his open collar typical of the informal dress of Israeli statesmen.
There is a cast in the Jewish Museum, New York.
Selected Bibliography
  • Fort, Ilene Susan and Michael Quick. American Art: a Catalogue of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Collection. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1991.