'Joy of the Waters,' A Bronze Figure

Details

Harriet Whitney Frishmuth (1880-1979)
'Joy of the Waters,' A Bronze Figure
inscribed 'HARRIET W. FRISHMUTH SC. © 1920' and 'ROMAN BRONZE WORKS NY' along the edge of the base
bronze with bluish green patina
42¾ in. (108.6 cm.)

Provenance

Sotheby's, New York, 1 December 1988, lot 258.
Acquired by the present owner from the above.

Literature

C.N. Aronson, Sculptured Hyacinths, New York, 1973, pp. 26, 107-109, 206, illustration of another example
J. Conner and J. Rosenkranz, Rediscoveries in American Sculpture: Studio Works 1893-1939, Austin, Texas, 1989, pp. 37-38, 40-42, 191, illustration of another example
T. Tolles, ed., American Sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art: Volume II. A Catalogue of Works by Artists Born between 1865 and 1885, New York, 2001, p. 640

Lot Essay

In discussing this sculpture, Joan M. Marter writes: "Joy of the Waters, a spry female reacting to the splash of cold water on her feet, was modeled lifesize in 1917 (Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, Ohio) and revised in 1920 in a 45-inch size; an example of the latter served as her diploma piece when she was elected to full membership in the National Academy of Design in 1929." (T. Tolles, ed., American Sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art: Volume II. A Catalogue of Works by Artists Born between 1865 and 1885, New York, 2001, p. 640) The work was cast in an edition of forty-five and features the artist's favorite model, Desha.

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