José Mariano de Creeft (November 27, – September 11, ) was a Spanish-born American artist, sculptor, and teacher known for modern sculpture in stone, metal, and wood, particularly figural works of women. His foot (m) bronze Alice in Wonderland sculpture climbing sculpture in Central Park is well known to both adults and children in New York City. He was an early adopter, and prominent exponent of the direct carving approach to sculpture. He also developed the technique of lead chasing, and was among the first to create modern sculpture from found objects. He taught at Black Mountain College, the Art Students League of New York, and the New School for Social Research. His works are in the Whitney Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and many other public and private collections.
Early life
José de Creeft was born in Guadalajara, Spain, on November 27, , to Catalan parents Mariano de Creeft y Masdeu and Rosa Champane y Ortiz. Four years later the family moved to Barcelona. In , when his father died leaving the family des*ute, de Creeft, his mother and two sisters moved in with an
José de Creeft
José Mariano de Creeft (November 27, – September 11, ) was a Spanish-born American artist, sculptor, and teacher known for modern sculpture in stone, metal, and wood, particularly figural works of women. His foot ( m) bronze Alice in Wonderland sculpture climbing sculpture in Central Park is well known to both adults and children in New York City. He was an early adopter, and prominent exponent of the direct carving approach to sculpture. He also developed the technique of lead chasing, and was among the first to create modern sculpture from found objects. He taught at Black Mountain College, the Art Students League of New York, and the New School for Social Research. His works are in the Whitney Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and many other public and private collections.
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b. , Guadalajara, Spain
d. , New York, New York
A pioneering figure in modernist art, José de Creeft is celebrated for his groundbreaking contributions to sculpture, as well as his remarkable achievements in painting and drawing. Born in Spain, he gained early recognition in Paris before building a lasting artistic legacy in the United States. While his iconic sculptures, such as Central Park’s Alice in Wonderland, are widely known, his two-dimensional works reveal a vibrant imagination and an expressive depth that transcends the medium of sculpture.
De Creeft’s artistic journey began in Madrid, where he trained as a draftsman, and continued in when he moved to Paris to study at the Académie Julian. Encouraged by Auguste Rodin, de Creeft honed his skills in perspective and precision while forging friendships with Juan Gris and Pablo Picasso. His early drawings, marked by bold lines, sharp contours, and unshaded spaces, displayed a futuristic aesthetic that captured the dynamic energy of the time. By the s, his work took on a more romantic tone, with themes of sensuality and maternal tenderness woven into his compositions.
Drawing became a notable ou
Jose de Creeft
Artist Biography
José de Creeft was a Spanish-born American artist, sculptor, and teacher known for modern sculpture in stone, metal, and wood, particularly figural works of women. His 16 foot bronze Alice In Wonderland climbing sculpture in Central Park is well known to both adults and children in New York City. He was an early adopter, and prominent exponent of the direct carving approach to sculpture. He taught at Black Mountain College, the Art Students League of New York, and the New School for Social Research. His works are in the Whitney Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and many other public and private collections.
For de Creeft, the creative process was his life; if he wasn’t carving a piece of stone or wood, he was creating his own tools, which allowed him to produce more exacting results. His method of carving allowed him to be a part of the entire process of creating a finished piece, one which was not defined as the result of a preconceived determination, but instead as a result of the unbridled spontaneity necessary for artistic fulfillment. Each sculpture embodied his p
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