The figure of an embryo shortly before birth or a newborn baby incised in a large bluestone is a perfect example of the technique of 'direct carving'. Instead of transferring a preconceived image developed in clay, wood, or drawings into the stone, the artistic process instead is seen as a dialogue between the sculptor and the stone, as a respectful interaction between the artist and nature. Metaphorically, the sculptor acts as a midwife who liberates the image enclosed in the stone, following hints of its shape, structure, color and texture. John Bernard Flannagan, who was born and raised in Fargo, North Dakota, studied at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts from 1916-1919. Later living in New York and Ireland, Flannagan became a champion of direct carving, a principle adopted by many modernist sculptors of the first half of the 20th century, especially in England. Other protagonists of this technique were Jacob Epstein and Henry Moore.