Ecstasy

Francisco Albert, Ecstasy, n.d., bronze, 22 ³⁄₈ x 8 x 14 ³⁄₄ in. (56.7 x 20.3 x 37.6 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1946.7.1

Artwork Details

Title: Ecstasy
Artist: Francisco Albert
Date: n.d.
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
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Luce Foundation Center
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3rd Floor
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19B
Dimensions: 22 ³⁄₈ x 8 x 14 ³⁄₄ in. (56.7 x 20.3 x 37.6 cm.)
Credit Line: Gift of the artist
Mediums: bronze
Mediums Description: bronze
Classifications: Sculpture
Subjects: Figure female — nude
State of being — emotion — happiness
Allegory — passion — joy
Object Number: 1946.7.1
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1946.7.1

Artwork Description

The Smithsonian American Art Museum acquired this sculpture in 1946, the same year the Museum held a large exhibition of Francisco Albert's work. Albert lived most of his life in Mexico, and this exhibition was the first significant introduction of his work to America. He worked in a variety of materials, including crystal, stone, and wood, but chose to cast many of his sculptures in bronze. Ecstasy retains the imprints of the artist's fingers as he worked over the original clay, and these intricately modeled surfaces enhance the sensuousness of the bronze figure.