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Catalog Data

Medium:
Cement, iron, amethyst, bennington
Type:
Statues
Date:
ca.1830-1920
Period:
Victorian (1837-1901)
Description:
Cast-concrete statue of girl with stone eyes. The statue depicts a young girl with short hair. She stands with one hand raised and is wearing a knee-length frock. Her eyes have been set with small stones, one amethyst and the other bennington.
Label Text:
The placement of statues in the garden dates to ancient times, but placing sculpture outdoors gained momentum in the Renaissance in Italy. This was due to increased interest in classical art and design. The avid collection of antiquities soon filled the houses with sculptures and by necessity they began to spill out into gardens. Since the Renaissance both antique and contemporary statues and sculptures have been an admired form of garden ornament. The use of statues in the garden has a much shorter history in America, and in the Victorian era, it reached its height. Sculptures could be made from a variety of materials and could be free standing or as part of fountain or birdbath. In large gardens, life-sized statues elevated on plinths brought grandeur to designs, while smaller scale designs were available for more moderate spaces.
Topic:
amethyst  Search this
cement  Search this
statues  Search this
Garden ornaments and furniture  Search this
girls  Search this
outdoor sculpture  Search this
Credit Line:
Smithsonian Gardens, Horticultural Artifacts Collection.
Accession number:
1985.010
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Horticultural Artifacts Collection
Data Source:
Smithsonian Gardens
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/aq48eeb6d9c-a89c-4c08-bed7-751202229a52
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:hac_1985.010