Torso

Even in his new homeland, the United States, the sculptor Gaston Lachaise (1882-1935) was mindful of French modern sculpture, in which his work is rooted. The human torso became one of the key themes in his oeuvre. In it, Lachaise drew on the concept of the body fragment as being a work of art in its own right, as had been promoted by Auguste Rodin who was steeped in ancient art. The smooth and confident lines show an inspiration with the Ingres-esque tradition of female nude drawing, brought to its peak in modern art in the work of Henri Matisse.