"I hate this age," says Sculptor Reuben Nakian. "It's very cold here. So you have to train yourself to ignore it." For years, Nakian has been training exuberantly at his Stamford, Conn., studio by designing huge, flagrant evocations of Greek nymphs and goddesses (see color opposite). Modern U.S. sculpture in classical themes seems a bit like vodka martinis in Grecian urns. Yet Nakian's polylithic Ledas, Hecubas and Olympias are lusted after by some of the most adventurous contemporary curators and collectors in the country.
Last week, as Nakian approached his 70th birthday, his glowing and explicit Goddess of the Golden...