abstracted image with two disembodied legs with feet and a torso at right, on a pile of other abstracted body parts; yellow and blue sky-like ground; received in gilt frame with grey liner

Torso and Limbs, 1952

expand_more
Not on Viewexpand_more

This pile of human remains might initially strike viewers as repulsive and shocking. For the artist Hyman Bloom, who spent a great deal of time in anatomy theaters and hospital morgues, many motivations were at play in his depictions of this subject. Seeing the body inside and out was awe-inspiring, and humbling: "My concern," he explained, "was the complexity and color beauty of the internal works, the wonder, and the feeling of transgressing boundaries which such curiosity evokes." Intensely spiritual, and proud of his Jewish heritage, Bloom made these harrowing images in the wake of World War II (1939-45) and the Holocaust (the Nazi-led genocide of over six million Jews) when the meaning of the body and its relationship to spirit and morality was of great concern of artists and writers.

Details
Title
Torso and Limbs
Artist Life
1913 - 2009
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2021.54
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know

abstracted image with two disembodied legs with feet and a torso at right, on a pile of other abstracted body parts; yellow and blue sky-like ground; received in gilt frame with grey liner
Because of © restrictions, we can only show you a small image of this artwork.