    dame barbara hepworth dbe (10 january 1903&nbsp;â 20 may 1975) was an english artist and sculptor. her work exemplifies modernism and in particular modern sculpture. she was "one of the few women artists to achieve international prominence." along with artists such as ben nicholson and naum gabo, hepworth was a leading figure in the colony of artists who resided in st. ives during the second world war. ==early life==  jocelyn barbara hepworth was born on 10 january 1903 in wakefield, west riding of yorkshire, the eldest child of gertrude and herbert hepworth. her father was a civil engineer for the west riding county council, who in 1921 became county surveyor. an upwardly mobile family, and a dominant father determined her to exploit fully her natural talents. she attended wakefield girls high school, and won a scholarship to and studied at the leeds school of art from 1920. it was there that she met her fellow student, henry moore. they became friends and established a friendly rivalry that lasted professionally for many years. hepworth was the first to sculpt the pierced figures that are characteristic of works by both. they would lead in the path to modernism in sculpture. ever self-conscious as a woman in a man's world, she then won a county scholarship to the royal college of art and studied there from 1921 until she was awarded the diploma of the royal college of art in 1924. ==early career== following her studies at the rca, hepworth travelled to florence, italy in 1924 on a west riding travel scholarship. hepworth was also the runner-up for the prix-de-rome, which the sculptor john skeaping won. after travelling together through siena and rome, hepworth married skeaping on 13 may 1925 in florence. in italy, hepworth learned how 
1903_births 1975_deaths Accidental_deaths_in_England Alumni_of_the_Leeds_College_of_Art Alumni_of_the_Royal_College_of_Art Dames_Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire Deaths_from_fire English_sculptors English_women_artists Members_of_Unit_One Modern_sculptors Nicholson_arts_family People_from_Wakefield St_Ives_artists