Digging in a San Francisco yard – and finding a mysterious statue
Greg Gatwood and Judy Gittelson found a carved limestone statue in the ground that may be related to the city's artistic past. The clues point to the Art Institute across from their home – and perhaps to artist Ralph Stackpole.
A routine gardening project in a backyard in San Francisco turned into an art mystery after Greg Gatwood and Judy Gittelson found a carved limestone statue in the ground that they believe may be related to the city's Art Deco past. The couple is currently examining leads connecting the statue to Ralph Stackpole.
Stackpole was one of the most influential artists in the San Francisco art scene of the 1920s and 1930s, having created, among other things, sculptures for the city's old stock exchange building and murals at Coit Tower.
"It's probably the most exciting thing I've found in the yard – and I've found quite a few things over the years," said Gatwood.
According to Gatwood, last May he was working in the yard of his home in the Russian Hill neighborhood when his shovel hit the object. If it turns out to be an original work by Stackpole, the discovery could take on significant artistic and historical importance. The couple lives across from the building that once housed the San Francisco Art Institute.
"I think there is a connection between this statue and the building across from us," he said. "And Stackpole taught there for years. Who knows, maybe he or one of his students touched this thing at some point." Gatwood raised the possibility that the statue was a gift that was once placed in the yard before disappearing into the dense vegetation.
Gittelson, Gatwood's partner and an artist herself, is not convinced that Stackpole is the creator, yet she sees a visual language reminiscent of that era and his circle:
"Ralph Stackpole taught at the Art Institute for 20 years, and his students created a similar look of a flat nose and wide face. It's carved limestone, and the quality of execution and level of skill are exceptional."
Gittelson noted that a local sculptor who examined the work told them: "This is not a sculpture by just anyone who messes around with limestone. This is someone very sophisticated." In the meantime, despite the compelling clues, the couple has yet to find anyone who can say with certainty who created the statue or where it came from.
