Clytie

Copied Hiram Powers, Clytie, modeled ca. 1867, plaster, 26 x 18 1⁄2 x 10 1⁄2 in. (65.9 x 47.0 x 26.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase in memory of Ralph Cross Johnson, 1968.155.50
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Artwork Details

Title
Clytie
Artist
Date
modeled ca. 1867
Location
Dimensions
26 x 18 1⁄2 x 10 1⁄2 in. (65.9 x 47.0 x 26.8 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase in memory of Ralph Cross Johnson
Mediums
Mediums Description
plaster
Classifications
Subjects
  • Study — sculpture model
  • Mythology — classical — Clytie
Object Number
1968.155.50
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1968.155.50

Artwork Description

Clytie is a water nymph from Greek mythology who fell in love with Apollo and never took her eyes off him as he flew across the sky. Eventually, she became a sunflower, forever turning its face with the course of the sun. Hiram Powers likely based this sculpture on an antique Roman bust in the British Museum that was widely reproduced across Europe. Powers added a sunflower to the figure's hair to symbolize Clytie's fate.