Wildflower

Jonathan Scott Hartley, Wildflower, 1880, terra cotta, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1986.5
Copied Jonathan Scott Hartley, Wildflower, 1880, terra cotta, 20 1410 388 14 in. (51.426.421.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1986.5
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Wildflower
Date
1880
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
20 1410 388 14 in. (51.426.421.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
terra cotta
Classifications
Keywords
  • Figure female — child — bust
Object Number
1986.5

Artwork Description

This sculpture captures the childlike innocence of a little girl looking affectionately at the viewer with a slight smile and sidelong gaze. She lives up to her name with the flowers that decorate her shawl and the bottom of the bust. Jonathan Scott Hartley modeled her smooth skin to contrast with the rough textures of her hair and clothing. He created the work in terra-cotta, or fired clay, which gives it a reddish-orange hue that contrasts sharply with white marble sculptures. Terra-cotta statues were popular with middle-class Americans because they were more affordable than marble or bronze pieces. In this case, terra-cotta seems appropriate for a portrait of a peasant girl.