London's Piano Nobile gallery has opened "Barbara Hepworth: Strings," the first exhibition dedicated to the British sculptor's use of string in her work. The show explores how Hepworth (1903–1975) incorporated string into sculptures, paintings, and drawings from 1939 onward, including pieces never before exhibited in the U.K. Highlights include the rediscovered "Theme on Electronics (Orpheus)," 1956, commissioned by Mullard and long thought lost, and "Pierced Hemisphere (Telstar)," 1963, making its U.K. debut. Curated by Michael Regan, the exhibition draws on Hepworth's letters and archival material to illuminate her innovative approach to tension, space, and light.
The exhibition matters because it reframes a key but underexplored aspect of Hepworth's practice, showing how string was not merely decorative but central to her perceptual and philosophical aims. It arrives as Hepworth's market remains strong, with her auction record of $11.5 million set in 2023 and recent sales exceeding $5 million. By bringing together rare and newly surfaced works, the show deepens understanding of a major modernist sculptor and underscores the continued relevance of her formal experiments to contemporary audiences.