Eugenie Gershoy, Concetta Scaravaglione, 1940, bronze, 18 1⁄2 x 8 1⁄4 x 8 1⁄8 in. (46.9 x 21.0 x 20.5 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. James Neely in memory of Miss Maybelle Steinman, 1971.448
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Concetta Scaravaglione
- Artist
- Date
- 1940
- Location
- Dimensions
- 18 1⁄2 x 8 1⁄4 x 8 1⁄8 in. (46.9 x 21.0 x 20.5 cm.)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Dr. and Mrs. James Neely in memory of Miss Maybelle Steinman
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- bronze
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Portrait female — Scaravaglione, Concetta
- Occupation — art — sculptor
- Object Number
- 1971.448
Artwork Description
Concetta Scaravaglione studied art from the age of sixteen, working in a factory during the day to fund her classes. She won a scholarship to the Art Students League and later was the first woman to receive the Prix de Rome to study sculpture at the American Academy in Italy. This piece was modeled while both Eugenie Gershoy and Scaravaglione were employed by the Works Progress Administration. Often described as a “tiny woman of great energy,” Scaravaglione was passionate about her work, and this portrait shows her in the middle of creating a piece. Her whole body appears animated as she contemplates the next section to carve in an unseen block of stone.