Will-o-the-Wisp
Artist
Harriet Goodhue Hosmer
(American, 1830-1908)
CultureAmerican
Dateca. 1858
MediumMarble
DimensionsOverall: 33 3/4 x 16 3/4 x 18 1/8 in. (85.7 x 42.5 x 46 cm)
Credit LineGift of James H. Ricau and Museum purchase
Object number86.472
On View
Chrysler Museum of Art, Gallery 211
Label TextHarriet Goodhue Hosmer American, 1830–1908 Puck, modeled ca. 1855–56 Marble Will-o-the-Wisp, modeled ca. 1858 Marble For this pair of mythical imps, Harriet Hosmer carved bouquet-like bases to further engage and charm potential clients. Circle Will-o-the-Wisp and discover the swamp sprite’s lively forest friends. This statue and its pendant, the naughty Puck, would have brightened the corners of a tastefully decorated parlor. Though admired for her playful subjects, Hosmer was an ambitious and shrewd businesswoman. Like other American sculptors, she moved to Rome for easy access to cheap marble, skilled Italian assistants, and celebrity clients, including poets, actresses, and the Prince of Wales. Gift of James H. Ricau and Museum purchase 86.471 and 86.472ProvenancePrivate Collection, New York; Raymond's Antiques, Alexandria, Va., by 1970; Giacomo P. d'Avanzo, 1971; Skinner's, Bolton. Mass., 1982; Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York, 1982; Private Collection, 1984; James H. Ricau, Piermont, N.Y., 1984; Gift of James H. Ricau and Museum Purchase, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va., 1986. Exhibition History"The Ricau Collection," The Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, Va., February 26 - April 23, 1989. "Women of the Chrysler: a 400-Year Celebration of the Arts," Large Changing Gallery, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va., March 24 - July 18, 2010. Published ReferencesH. Nichols B. Clark, "Pairs of sculptures collected by James Ricau," _The Magazine Antiques_. November 1997, 700-705. H. Nichols B. Clark. _A Marble Quarry: The James H. Ricau Collection of Sculpture at the Chrysler Museum of Art_. New York: Hudson Hills Press, Inc. 1997: 218-220, ill.
