Wood, steel wire and lead
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
ARTIST ROOMS
National Heritage Memorial Fund
Art Fund
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/joseph-beuys-747" aria-label="More by Joseph Beuys" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Joseph Beuys</a>
Scala Napoletana
ARTIST ROOMS
Acquired jointly with the National Galleries of Scotland through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund 2008
balance
emotions, concepts and ideas
formal qualities
ladder
miscellaneous
objects
sphere
tools and machinery
sculpture wood steel wire lead
4 July 2009 – 27 September 2009
2009-09-27
4 July 2009 – 27 September 2009
2009-09-27
2009-07-04
De La Warr Pavilion (Bexhill on Sea, UK)
http://www.dlwp.com/
2009-07-04
ARTIST ROOMS 2009: Joseph Beuys
Loan-out
11 September 2010 – 23 January 2011
2011-01-23
11 September 2010 – 23 January 2011
2011-01-23
2010-09-11
Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen (Düsseldorf, Germany)
2010-09-11
Joseph Beuys. Parallel Processes
Loan-out
22 October 2011 – 8 January 2012
2012-01-08
22 October 2011 – 8 January 2012
2012-01-08
2011-10-22
Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales (Cardiff, UK)
2011-10-22
ARTIST ROOMS 2011: Joseph Beuys
Loan-out
1 May 2012 – 31 October 2012
2012-10-31
1 May 2012 – 31 October 2012
2012-10-31
2012-05-01
The Israel Museum (Jerusalem, Israel)
http://www.imj.org.il
2012-05-01
Joseph Beuys - Tadeusz Kantor: Memory
Loan-out
13 October 2017 – 21 January 2018
2018-01-21
13 October 2017 – 21 January 2018
2018-01-21
2017-10-13
Leeds Art Gallery (Leeds, UK)
http://www.leeds.gov.uk/artgallery/
2017-10-13
ARTIST ROOMS 2017: Joseph Beuys
Loan-out
Scala Napoletana
Overall dimensions variable:11000 × 10000 × 6000mm
Ladder: 4510 × 250 × 80mm, Lead spheres: 500mm diameter each.
<a href="/search?gid=999999788" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">ARTIST ROOMS</a>
Acquired jointly with the National Galleries of Scotland through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the <a href="/search?gid=999999967" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">National Heritage Memorial Fund</a> and the <a href="/search?gid=999999968" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">Art Fund</a> 2008
<p>Much of the work Beuys made in his last few years includes objects or themes which suggest death. This sculpture was originally inspired by a ladder the artist found while recovering from illness on the island of Capri in Autumn 1985, which he hung with two stones. When he visited Amalfi at Christmas in the same year, he purchased a ladder (‘Scala Libera’) from a landlord which he used to make this sculpture. Held in suspension, it appears as if the pair of lead weights are preventing this heavy wooden ladder from soaring into the air. This is one of the last sculptures Beuys made. He died in January 1986.</p>

Online caption
2009-04-16T00:00:00
online-caption
ONLINE_CAPTION
balance emotions, concepts and ideas formal qualities ladder miscellaneous objects sphere tools and machinery