Narcissa

Daniel Chester French, Narcissa, modeled 1901, cast silver, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly, 1929.8.509
Copied Daniel Chester French, Narcissa, modeled 1901, cast silver, 12 5⁄8 x 5 1⁄4 x 3 5⁄8 in. (32.2 x 13.4 x 9.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly, 1929.8.509
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Narcissa
Artist
Date
modeled 1901
Location
Dimensions
12 5⁄8 x 5 1⁄4 x 3 5⁄8 in. (32.2 x 13.4 x 9.3 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of John Gellatly
Mediums
Mediums Description
cast silver
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure female — nude
  • Figure female — full length
  • Mythology — classical — Narcissus
  • Object — other — dish
  • Object — flower
Object Number
1929.8.509
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1929.8.509

Artwork Description

Narcissa is one of many female nudes that Daniel Chester French produced during his long career. He based it on the Greek myth of the god Narcissus, who spurned the love of others and was so self-centered that the gods forced him to gaze endlessly at his own reflection in a pool of water. Unable to turn away from his image, Narcissus perished, and the gods turned him into the flower that bears his name. In French’s version, the woman holds a bowl of water that mirrors her face while she reaches up to touch the narcissus in her hair.