Bust of Clytie
Artist
Hiram Powers
(American, 1805-1873)
CultureAmerican
Datemodeled ca.1865-67, carved after 1868
MediumMarble
DimensionsOverall: 26 1/4 x 17 5/8 x 10 1/8 in. (66.7 x 44.8 x 25.7 cm)
Credit LineGift of James H. Ricau and Museum purchase
Object number86.507
Not on view
DescriptionMarble bust of Clytie, a young nude woman.Label TextHiram Powers American (1805-1873) Bust of Clytie, modeled ca.1865-67, carved after 1868 Marble, 26 1/4 x 17 5/8 x 10 1/8 in. Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA Gift of James H. Ricau and Museum Purchase 86.507 Often cited today as the most influential of America's 19th-century sculptors, Hiram Powers was hailed by many in his lifetime as the anointed successor to the great European sculptors Antonio Canova and Bertel Thorwaldsen. Powers was the first United States sculptor to achieve an international reputation, having derived much of his fame from his celebrated 1844 marble The Greek Slave, which became the most widely known American sculpture of the 19th century. Power's marble Bust of Clytie reflects the American Neoclassicists' passion for ancient Roman subject matter and idealized sculptural form. It depicts the mythological water nymph who loved the sun god Apollo. Rejected by him, Clytie sat on the ground for nine days, forlornly watching Apollo as he traveled across the sky. The gods finally took pity on her and changed her into a sunflower which, like the heartbroken nymph, would always turn its head toward the sun. The crown of sunflower petals in her hair not only alludes to her coming transformation, but symbolizes the constancy of love.Exhibition History"The Ricau Collection," The Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, Va., February 26 - April 23, 1989. "Behind the Seen: The Chrysler's Hidden Museum," Large Changing Gallery, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va., October 21, 2005 - February 19, 2006. Ongoing display, Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, August 19, 2014 - July 14, 2015. Terrace Gallery, Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia, January 15 - December 15, 2016.Published ReferencesH. 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).
