Concetta Scaravaglione

Copied 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

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
Keywords
  • Occupation — art — sculptor
  • Portrait female — Scaravaglione, Concetta
Object Number
1971.448
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/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.