Girl Skating

Copied Abastenia St. Léger Eberle, Girl Skating, 1907, bronze, 12 7811 126 34 in. (32.829.217.2 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the C.K. Williams Foundation, 2011.29
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Girl Skating
Date
1907
Dimensions
12 7811 126 34 in. (32.829.217.2 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase through the C.K. Williams Foundation
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Keywords
  • Figure female — child — full length
  • Recreation — sport and play — skating
Object Number
2011.29

Artwork Description

Abastenia Eberle created several bronze casts of Girl Skating (also known as Roller Skating or Girl with Roller Skate). A year after she was elected to the National Sculpture Society, Eberle exhibited Girl Skating in New York City and Philadelphia. As her first piece that displayed the children of Manhattan's streets, it marked the beginning of her focus on urban poverty. Eberle addressed social issues in this sculpture while capturing the spirit of these poor communities. Girl Skating's uneven surfaces accentuate the girl's tattered appearance, yet her outstretched arms and open-mouthed expression still convey joy and the thrill of play.