Marble sculpture on a pedestal, composed of four pieces including two original carved circular marble disks which insert below the bust and below the pedestal. Full bust of a nude female. The head is inclined and turned slightly right with the gaze in the same direction. The hair is parted in the center and drawn back above the ears. Above the forehead the hair is held in place by a small bow ornamented with a butterfly and at the back it falls loosely over the neck from a small knot.
busts (figures)
sculpture (visual work)
marble (rock)
Sculpture
Bust
Bust
"Cherished Possessions": Vermont-born Hiram Powers followed the custom of American sculptors of his time and went to Italy in 1837 to pursue his career. He soon became internationally known for the naturalistic rendering of his portrait busts and the beauty of his "ideal" statues as seen in his most famous work, The Greek Slave. This bust of Psyche, who is often depicted with a butterfly, a representation of the human soul is on display at the Codman Estate in Lincoln, Massachusetts.
"Artful Stories": Vermont-born sculptor Hiram Powers moved to Florence in 1837 to solidify his training. His studio there attracted a loyal clientele of travelers from New England, among them Nathaniel Hawthorne, who rhapsodized when he saw this bust: A light
seems to shine from the interior of the marble, and beam forth from the features. The figure is Psyche, a Greek goddess personifying the human soul. Powerss sculpture evoked classical ideals of female beauty and had great appeal in the nineteenth century. In the image below, the sculpture is between the windows in the Codman Estate Drawing Room.
Original to Codman House (Lincoln, Mass.),
Psyche
Powers, Hiram, 1805-1873 (Artist)
25 x 19 1/4 x 10 (HxWxD) (inches)
Bequest of Dorothy S.F.M. Codman
1969.771
Florence (Firenze province, Tuscany, Italy)
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