Milton Hebald
Woman with Drapery I, 1957
Cast bronze
Gift of Saul Rosen
Currently not on view.
“His work was very positive and bright. [Hebald] liked playful, joyous moments that celebrate the human spirit in its best light.” Kenneth Pushkin
If you enjoy looking at Woman with Drapery I, you are not the only fan of Hebald’s work. The artist’s sculpture is installed in numerous public venues all over the world, from Romeo and Juliet in New York’s Central Park, to James Joyce’s grave in Switzerland. Hebald even gave many international travelers their first introduction to public art in America. His sculpture Zodiac Screen graced the Pan Am terminal at JFK in New York from 1961 until the airline went bankrupt in the 1990s.
Given the prominence of Hebald’s sculptures, why then do so few know about this artist? The answer lies in the art world of the mid-twentieth century. Just as Hebald reached the peak of his career, abstract painting and sculpture became de rigueur for artists wanting to be seen as important and avant garde. Consequently, Hebald’s work hasn’t received much critical or scholarly attentions.