Figure in a Landscape (Zennor)

This small bronze was the first example of a Hepworth sculpture acquired by the museum. Hepworth went to live in St Ives Cornwall at the outbreak of the Second World War and the Cornish landscape affected her deeply. The charming little hamlet of Zennor, which provided the inspiration for this sculpture, lies at the bottom of a valley, ten minutes from the cliff top. There is a local story of the mermaid of Zennor who, on hearing the song of a young choirboy, coaxed him into the sea, never to be seen again. Whether or not the mysterious suggestion of a face etched into the inner surface of the sculpture alludes to this myth is not documented.