THOMAS EAKINS (1844-1916) Allegorical Figure, Nymph and Bittern Bronze, H. 9 3/16 inches From a plaster made from the original 1876-77 wax
AINTERS have always made preparatory sketches in pencil, ink, or oil for subsequent works of art. However, very few made sculptural sketches. Eakins occasionally did both. While studying in France, he had worked briefly with the sculptor Augustin-Alexandre Dumont. Eakins' modellos, especially those preparatory to his paintings of William Rush Carving the Allegory of the Schuylkill, are brilliant works of art in themselves. The original waxes are in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, given by Mrs. Eakins in 1929. A year later, she and Samuel Murray (1870-1941), a sculptor who had studied with Eakins and who was much admired by him, made plaster casts of these waxes. Mrs. Eakins gave one set to Seymour Adelman, a friend and Eakins collector. In 1965 Adelman had three bronze casts made of each of the plasters (now in a private collection). One set was given to the artist Leonard Baskin, another to the art dealer Herman Shickman, and the third was Adelman's. He bequeathed it to the Bryn Mawr College Museum. The present example was part of the Baskin set, which was divided up and sold off individually. Shickman's sculptures were lost, presumably stolen, during a move some years ago. $16500
AINTERS have always made preparatory sketches in pencil, ink, or oil for subsequent works of art. However, very few made sculptural sketches. Eakins occasionally did both. While studying in France, he had worked briefly with the sculptor Augustin-Alexandre Dumont. Eakins' modellos, especially those preparatory to his paintings of William Rush Carving the Allegory of the Schuylkill, are brilliant works of art in themselves. The original waxes are in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, given by Mrs. Eakins in 1929. A year later, she and Samuel Murray (1870-1941), a sculptor who had studied with Eakins and who was much admired by him, made plaster casts of these waxes. Mrs. Eakins gave one set to Seymour Adelman, a friend and Eakins collector. In 1965 Adelman had three bronze casts made of each of the plasters (now in a private collection). One set was given to the artist Leonard Baskin, another to the art dealer Herman Shickman, and the third was Adelman's. He bequeathed it to the Bryn Mawr College Museum. The present example was part of the Baskin set, which was divided up and sold off individually. Shickman's sculptures were lost, presumably stolen, during a move some years ago.