The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of January 30, 2023

Source

1967

Tony Smith

(American, 1912–1980)

America, 20th century

Painted steel

Overall: 335.2 x 899.1 x 1036.3 cm (131 15/16 x 354 x 408 in.)

Gift of the Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company 2001.256

© Estate of Tony Smith / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Location

NG North Sculpture Garden

Fun Fact

The name of this sculpture was inspired by the French realist painter Gustave Courbet's <em>The Source of the Loue</em> (1864).

Description

Considered a forerunner of minimalism, Smith created monumental sculptures in geometric forms often inspired by nature. Source possesses a balance between mass and volume, creating a playful energy that spills over into the public space.

Provenance
1967–1977?
Artist's studio
1977?–2001
Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company, Cleveland, OH
2001–
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
Citations
Lippard, Lucy R. Tony Smith. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1972.
Storr, Robert, John Keenen, and Joan Pachner. Tony Smith: Architect, Painter, Sculptor. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1998.
Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2001.256