Artist:

Harriet Hosmer, born Watertown, MA 1830-died Watertown, MA 1908  Search this

Medium:

marble

Dimensions:

32 1/2 x 16 3/4 x 17 in. (82.5 x 42.5 x 43.2 cm.)

Type:

Sculpture

Date:

modeled 1858

Luce Center Label:

Harriet Hosmer created Will o’ the Wisp as a companion piece to the highly successful statue of Puck, the bawdy clown from Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Will o’ the Wisp is based on the folktale of a fairy who turns into a phosphorescent glow, covering the marshes at night to mislead travelers. The pointed ears and horns allude to his mischievous character, and his bat wings and the owl atop his head refer to his nocturnal nature. The torch cradled in his right arm symbolizes his ability to assume a glowing form. Despite its appeal, Will o’ the Wisp---nicknamed “my daughter” by the artist---was not as popular as Puck.

Topic:

Animal\bird  Search this

Fantasy\winged being  Search this

Animal\reptile\turtle  Search this

Animal\reptile\turtle  Search this

Object\other\torch  Search this

Credit Line:

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase

Object number:

1987.3

Restrictions & Rights:

CC0

See more items in:

Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection

Department:

Painting and Sculpture

Data Source:

Smithsonian American Art Museum

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk7c1fbabf8-0b90-4d98-8291-f7780546deb4

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:saam_1987.3