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51
HARRIET GOODHUE HOSMER
American, 1830-1908
Bust of Beatrice Cenci
marble
signed on the reverse "Harriet Hosmer", inscribed on the reverse "Fecit Roma"
h. 28 in. (71.1 cm.)
- Provenance: Carlsen Gallery, Greenville, New York, March 2007; Private Collection, New York
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Notes: On a custom made marble pedestal. The pedestal height is 43 inches.
American sculptor Harriet Hosmer (1830-1908) successfully challenged the traditional role of women to become one of the most popular and the first professional American female sculptor of the nineteenth century. To learn the structure of the human body she studied anatomy at the Missouri Medical College. In 1852, urged by her friend the actress Charlotte Cushman, she went to Rome the only place women could study sculpture and work from the nude model. There she studied with the prominent Welsh sculptor John Gibson as his first female student. As her reputation grew, she became part of an American expatriate group of writers and artists that included, Nathaniel Hawthorne, William Thackery, George Elliot, George Sand, the Brownings, and a number of female sculptors, including Edmonia Lewis. In Rome, Harriet dressed in men's clothing and, taken for a boy, was able to ride through the streets and pursue activities on her own that a woman would not have been allowed. In 1868, she formed a romantic relationship with Lady Louisa Ashburton, which lasted twenty-five years. Considered by patrons and her peers to be the foremost female sculptor of her time, Hosmer favored the neoclassical style popular in the nineteenth century and specialized in mythological and classical poses featuring mostly women. What made her work popular was the level of emotion and romanticism her works embodied. In 1862, an article appeared in the Art Journal making a quiet but devastating accusation that Harriet Hosmer, the American sculptor whose seven-foot marble Zenobia in Chains had just stunned crowds at London's Crystal Palace, could not possibly have created it herself. The work was too powerful, too precise and too physically demanding. A woman's hands could not have done this. The author of that rumor was Joseph Mozier—a fellow American sculptor living in Rome who had long envied Hosmer's success. He planted the accusation, and it spread like fire through the London press. Hosmer's response was immediate and she filed a libel lawsuit. She demanded and won a retraction and later wrote an essay in 1864 published in the Atlantic Monthly entitled "The Process of Sculpture." It was a detailed explanation of every stage of creating marble statues. She lifted the veil on the entire profession, revealing that all sculptors— including the most celebrated men—used teams of assistants for the physical labor of carving. In 1857, she began work on a full-length sculpture of Beatrice Cenci, depicting a sixteenth-century Italian noblewoman executed for killing her abusive father. The sculpture toured London, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia to critical acclaim. The president of the Royal Academy called it "really a beautiful work of art." Susan B. Anthony saw something more commenting "Harriet Hosmer has done more to ennoble and elevate women than she possibly could have done by mere words." Hosmer carved a number of idealized female busts during her career, mostly now in museums and public collections. The present sculpture by Hosmer is likely a bust of Beatrice Cenci wearing a crucifix and eyes cast upward, a classical pose with religious overtones. -
Condition: in very good overall condition; some surface grime on the figure's arms where sculpture has been lifted; two remnant holes under the figure's arms that were intended for turning the sculpture for viewing; a small loss at the joint with the base (additional photos available upon request); a few minor surface blemishes; no restoration apparent
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April 30, 2026 6:00 PM EDT
Milford, CT, US
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Bid Increments
| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
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