Reuben Nakian — Masterpieces of Sculpture
2 min readJul 13, 2019
Reuben Nakian ( 1897– 1986) was an American sculptor and teacher of Armenian extraction. His recurring themes are from Greek and Roman mythology. …” Nakian is unrepressed, un-neurotic, unabashed in his approach to sensuality, however tortuous his esthetic commitment, and whether his subject be death, bestiality, or Arcadian dalliance. This explicitness gives the “Nymph and Satyr” plaques a marvelous joy and ease, the “Europa” terra-cottas a voluptous dignity, and the “Leda and the Swan” drawings an almost comic abandon. Unlike most sexually oriented images in modern art, from Auguste Rodin to Andy Warhol, one finds no guilt or masochism in a Nakian .”
