Frank Hayden (American/Louisiana, 1934-1988), "Jacob Wrestling", carved and stained pinewood on marble base, unsigned, inscribed "God Is" and "Is God" on sides of base, h. 25 in., w. 20 1/2 in., d. 5 in. Provenance: Dr. Gary Noel Ross; Paula Manship (1912-2006), Baton Rouge, LA; by descent to her niece Nadine Carter Russell (1943-2022), Baton Rouge, LA. Note: Frank Hayden studied at Xavier University and under the great Croatian artist Ivan Meštrović at the University of Notre Dame. He became one of Louisiana’s preeminent sculptors, perhaps best known for his many public commissions. Hayden’s style combined elements of European modernism and African tribal art, all while staying rooted in the human figure. The artist’s early Catholic education in Memphis had a deep effect on him, and his faith played a key role in his art both in terms of subject and philosophy. Internationally renowned and beloved locally, Hayden served as a professor of art at Southern University in Baton Rouge for twenty-seven years, and he was an integral part of the city’s art community. His work is located on university campuses, in houses of worship and as part of numerous public and private collections.Religious motifs are prominent in Hayden’s work, and he depicted both the individual search for betterment through faith and the societal search for enlightenment and unity. The lot offered here displays the simplistic yet refined forms of the talented artist. The figurative elements are stylized to the point of abstraction, exemplifying the tenets of simplicity of form. The contrasting media of stone and wood echo the tension of the subject even as they are seamlessly melded together. With “Jacob Wrestling,” Hayden illustrates a story in the life of Jacob, detailed in Genesis, where separated from all others and from his own worldly possessions, he grapples throughout the night for what is truly important. Following an exhausting struggle with God that leaves him crippled, Jacob ceases fighting, realizing that he could not proceed without God and ultimately receives his blessing. The story is one of faith, redemption from sin, fulfillment of one’s purpose and sacrifice—universal themes across all religions and time periods. Ref.: Green, Don M. “The Legend of Frank Hayden.” Views from Southern University. Sept. 9, 2017. www.viewsfromsu.com; “Frank Hayden.” Frank Hayden Foundation. www.frankhaydenfoundation.org. Accessed July 17, 2023.

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