Private collectors

Various locations in USA and Italy

John Vassar House was deeply affected by the Arno River flooding in Tuscany in November 1966 while working in his studio in Rome.

The devastating event caused immense human catastrophe, destruction, and damage to countless artistic masterpieces. It profoundly influenced JVH’s subsequent creations, especially in terms of form and movement. 

Photos that must have influenced JVH’s forms

Sketch by JVH for the Fiume Arno or 4 Cubes sinking sculpture

A few weeks later, JVH completed his first wax sculpture model, titled “Quattro Cubi Affondando” (Four Cubes Sinking), which was prepared for casting. This innovative form employs a novel language, depicting a singular, expansive, and curving flood wave shape characterized by gradually sinking cubes. 

The artistic simplicity of the forms conveys nature’s immense power and human despair in this tragedy.

The audacious hydrodynamic sculpture features horizontal water movement at tapered edges and swelling at the central highest point. Movement and mass create an unreal image of powerful tension. Expansive, bare top surfaces resemble a flood, with a rhomboid form. Only the 4 cubes resembling crates in array, semi-submerging, have straight edges.   

JVH will continue using abstract hydrodynamic forms for several years as follows for “Marine Vector” 1967, “Boston Tea Party” 1971, ” Columbus underwater marker” 1972, “Wave” 1974, “Hydrodynamic form or Sea Hawk” 1971

One of the seven casting pieces is at the University of Texas at Austin.

JVH cast an edition of 7 “Fiume Arno” or “4 Cubi Affondando” (sinking).