Anna and David

When real estate developer J. W. Kaempfer discovered the painting Pas de Deux by Miriam Schapiro (1923-2015), he not only purchased the work, but commissioned Schapiro to recreate the painting’s central figures into a large-scale sculpture. This sculpture, installed in 1987, now beautifies the entrance to this Rosslyn office building. Schapiro, primarily known as a painter, embraced the proposal and created her first sculpture.

Anna and David, a three-story, brightly painted sculpture, conveys movement through animated poses and brightly painted aluminum and stainless steel. A woman steps sideways, raising her arms while her partner appears to dance in a similarly dynamic stance. Schapiro writes, “I wish to translate feeling into movement in my figurative works, so that body language tells the story.” This sense of movement is visible in Anna and David and allows the sculpture to enliven the neighborhood in which it stands.

Learn more about Miriam Schapiro.