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Stepping Figure

Stepping Figure © EP 2021

Reino Unido, 1974

Serigrafía a color, 67.50 x 87 cm

firmado y fechado (en el margen)

Comprado al artista en 1993


Kenneth Armitage fue una de las principales figuras de la escultura renacentista británica de la posguerra. El centro artístico de Londres se vio gravemente afectado por la guerra y todos los artistas tuvieron que hacer un paréntesis en su carrera. Para cuando se calmaron las aguas, los edificios estaban destruidos, los materiales artísticos escaseaban y las oportunidades eran raras. En este contexto, Armitage, junto con Butler, Paolozzi y Chadwick (con quienes su obra dialoga explícitamente) desempeñaron un papel importante y esencial. En el plano académico, el escultor estudió en la Leeds College of Art (1934-1937) y más tarde se matriculó en la Slade School of Fine Art en Londres en 1937 hasta que la guerra interrumpió abruptamente su formación en 1939. Tras la guerra, Armitage renaudó su trayectoria académica como jefe del departamento de esculturas de la Academia de arte de Bath en Corsham, Wiltshire, de 1945 a 1956. Su corpus es claramente expresionista, plano y de concepción frontal. Estas elecciones, además de impulsar el desarrollo del medio en su isla, contrastan con las piezas monumentales orgánicas, volumétricas y multiperceptivas de Henry Moore. Una de las características de la mayoría de los escultores británicos de posguerra (si no de todos) fue matar al padre que representaba Moore. Las extremidades filiformes (resultado de su técnica de modelado precolado) y el uso de bases planas recuerdan a las obras del maestro moderno Giacometti. Stepping Figure es una representación de perfil de una figura dando un paso hacia delante, de derecha a izquierda, de oscuro a claro (azul). Si uno se fija en la postura de la figura, las manos extendidas y la pierna derecha a mitad del paso, inmediatamente recuerda a la otra contribución de Armitage a la Colección: July Figure (Version 1) de 1975. Atendiendo a la cronología entre las dos obras, quizás Stepping Figure sea una figura preliminar o una inspiración para la escultura.
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Stepping Figure

Kenneth ARMITAGE

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  • 1983

    Acquisitions

    Acquisitions of artworks from Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Denmark.


    Altiero Spinelli present the draft treaty on European Union.

  • 1984

    Second European elections

    European elections take place for the second time. Voters elect 434 members of the European Parliament from 10 countries. Socialists get about 30% of the seats and widen the gap with the centre-right EPP (25%).


    Pierre Pflimlin

    Pierre Pflimlin served as President of the European Parliament from 1984 to 1987.


    EP report on European Union

    The European Parliament adopts a draft treaty on European Union, authored by Italian MEP Altiero Spinelli. The federalist vision in the report inspires future talks on revisions to the founding treaties.

  • 1986

    Enlargement: Spain & Portugal

    Spain and Portugal join in the “Iberian enlargement”.

  • 1987

    Henry Plumb

    Henry Plumb, Baron Plumb served as President of the European Parliament from 1987 to 1989, the only Briton to hold the post.


    Single European Act

    The Single European Act formulates the objective of creating a single market by removing barriers and harmonising standards.

    It introduces the cooperation and assent procedures that for the first time give the EP a real say on legislation, and makes the name “European Parliament” official.

  • 1988

    Sakharov Prize

    The Parliament establishes the annual Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to honour people and groups from all over the world fighting for human rights.

    South African anti-apartheid activist and future president Nelson Mandela and late Soviet dissident Anatoly Marchenko are the first laureates.

  • 1989

    Fall of the Berlin Wall

    After weeks of civil unrest, the East German authorities open the crossing of the Berlin Wall in an act that symbolises the end of communist rule in Eastern Europe.


    Enrique Barón Crespo

    Enrique Barón Crespo served as President of the European Parliament from 1989 to 1992.


    3rd European elections

    In the third elections for the European Parliament a total of 518 MEPs from 12 countries are elected. The Socialists get more seats than anyone else (about 35%).

  • 1990

    Reunification of Germany

    East Germany is reunified with the Federal Republic of Germany. Parliament welcomes 18 non-voting observers to represent the new German provinces until elections in 1994.


    2nd round of acquisitions

    Continuation of the 2nd round of acquisitions: Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Greece.

  • 1991

    Wars in former Yugoslavia

    Slovenia and Croatia declare independence from Yugoslavia. Tensions between the nations that have been part of the collapsing federation lead to violent wars for much of the following decade despite peace-making efforts by Western powers.


    2nd round of acquisitions

    Continuation of the 2nd round of acquisitions: Greece and France.

  • 1992

    Egon A. Klepsch

    Egon A. Klepsch served as President of the European Parliament from 1992 to 1994.


    2nd round of acquisitions

    Continuation of the 2nd round of acquisitions: Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

  • 1993

    Maastricht Treaty

    The Maastricht Treaty paves the way for the creation of the European Union and the euro. It introduces the codecision procedure giving Parliament an equal say with the Council in some areas of legislation and gives Parliament the power to approve the Commission as a whole.


    Continuation of the 2nd round of acquisitions: the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

  • 1994

    Klaus Hänsch

    Klaus Hänsch served as served as President of the European Parliament from 1994 to 1997.


    1994 European elections

    European elections are held for the fourth time. A total of 567 members of the European Parliament from 12 countries are elected with the Socialists forming the largest group (35%) ahead of the centre-right EPP (28%).

  • 1995

    Enlargement

    Austria, Finland and Sweden join the EU bringing the number of member states to 15.

  • 1997

    José María Gil-Robles

    José María Gil-Robles served as President of the European Parliament from 1997 to 1999.


    Signature of Amsterdam Treaty

    Signing of the Amsterdam Treaty. The Treaties establishing the European Communities and a few related acts were signed in the presence of the President of the European Parliament, José María Gil-Robles.

  • 1998

    Belfast Agreement

    The signing of the ‘Good Friday’ or ‘Belfast Agreement’ between the Irish and the British governments led to the end of 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland.

  • 1999

    1999 European elections

    Voters from 15 EU countries go to the polls to elect 626 MEPs. The centre-right EPP-ED becomes the largest political group for the first time.


    Nicole Fontaine

    Nicole Fontaine served as President of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2002.


    EURO

    The euro was introduced to world financial markets as an accounting currency on 1 January 1999, replacing the former European Currency Unit (ECU).


    Amsterdam Treaty

    The Amsterdam treaty simplifies and broadens the application of the codecision lawmaking procedure. Parliament gets the right to approve the Commission president.

  • 2000

    Charter of Fundamental Rights

    The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU is solemnly proclaimed after having been drafted by a European convention with the active involvement of MEPs.

    Article 13.
    Freedom of the arts and sciences. The arts and scientific research shall be free of constraint. Academic freedom shall be respected.

    Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (2000/C 364/01)


    Acquisition programme

    3rd round of acquisitions with Austria, Finland and Sweden.

  • 2001

    National parliaments exhibiton in Brussels and Strasbourg. This exhibition was created at the initiative of President Gil Robles and was officially opened on 17 December 2001 by the then President Nicole Fontaine. It consists of works of art donated or loaned by 15 national parliaments.

  • 2002

    Pat Cox

    Pat Cox served as President of the European Parliament from 2002 to 2004.


    Euro is launched

    Euro notes and coins come into circulation – a crucial stage in the construction of an economic and monetary union in Europe.

  • 2003

    Treaty of Nice

    The Treaty of Nice reforms EU institutions to allow for the EU enlargement to Eastern Europe. It further extends the application of codecision.