Google Doodle on Tuesday honoured Dame Barbara
Hepworth, English abstract sculptor, on the anniversary of the day she arrived
in St Ives in England and established her studio.

In the Doodle, Hepworth can be seen sculpting her
“Pendour” piece at her studio, while her cat looks on.

The Doodle celebrates the life and work of English
abstract sculptor.

Hepworth was born on January 10, 1903, in Wakefield, England. At the age of 15, she knew she wanted to become a
sculptor. She studied at the Leeds School of Art, where she met fellow sculptor
Henry Moore and it was the beginning of their mutually influential lifelong
friendship. She also attended the Royal College of Art in London.

In 1930s, she shifted to wholly abstract pieces, among
the earliest such sculptures crafted in Britain.

The English sculptor was one of the leading
practitioners of “direct carving,” a technique by which the sculpting process
is influenced by the qualities of the raw materials, rather than a preconceived
model.

She was awarded the Grand Prix at the 1959 São Paulo
Bienal, and for her invaluable contribution to British art was named Dame
Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1965.

Hepworth sculpted more than 600 sculptures and they
are a testament to the unique power of art to reflect the timeless values of
humanism and natural beauty.

Doodler Matt Cruickshank from the UK created the doodle.
Talking about his creative approach for this Doodle, Cruickshank
said, “The approach centred around the Hepworth studio in St. Ives, imagining
such a magnificent space to create in with windows open and cats quietly
judging. I had made small sculptures firsthand to try and understand Barbara’s
thought process before looking at “Pendour” – one of Barbara’s pieces that
seemed to fit our logo and composition the best.”