Head of Etta Cone

William Zorach, Head of Etta Cone, 1943, cast plaster on plaster base, 148 129 34 in. (35.521.624.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1968.154.152

Artwork Details

Title
Head of Etta Cone
Date
1943
Dimensions
148 129 34 in. (35.521.624.8 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar
Mediums
Mediums Description
cast plaster on plaster base
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait female — Cone, Etta — head
Object Number
1968.154.152

Artwork Description

William Zorach modeled this portrait of Etta Cone from life. He traveled to Baltimore, where she and her sister Claribel lived and operated a private museum that housed their extraordinary art collection. The sisters grew up in a wealthy family; Clara studied medicine and Etta was the housekeeper until her mother died. In the 1890s they befriended Leo and Gertrude Stein, who introduced them to leading modern artists including Matisse and Picasso. The Cones soon began to divide their time between Baltimore, where they held salons at their home, and Europe, where they traveled and collected art. Zorach was very pleased with this portrait, but thought Cone, who had been sketched by Henri Matisse, disliked it. She was “convinced that she looked like these drawings,” Zorach claims. “They too were a likeness but I couldn’t see her through the eyes of Matisse.”

Works by this artist (744 items)

William Zorach, Head of Etta Cone, 1943, cast plaster on plaster base, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1968.154.152
Head of Etta Cone
Date1943
cast plaster on plaster base
On view
William Zorach, Seated Girl (with hands under legs), 1930, cast and patinated plaster, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1971.449.8
Seated Girl (with hands under legs)
Date1930
cast and patinated plaster
On view
William Zorach, Undaunted (Torso), 1963, cast plaster, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1971.449.17
Undaunted (Torso)
Date1963
cast plaster
On view
William Zorach, Study for Head of Moses, ca. 1950, unfired ceramic, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1968.154.161
Study for Head of Moses
Dateca. 1950
unfired ceramic
On view

More Artworks from the Collection

Owen McHugh, Unfolded #25, n.d., watercolor, gouache and pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the S. W. and B. M. Koffler Foundation, 1980.103.5
Unfolded #25
Daten.d.
watercolor, gouache and pencil on paper
Not on view
Forrest Flower, Forest Scene, ca. 1930-1939, gouache and pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Olin Dows, 1983.90.36
Forest Scene
Dateca. 1930-1939
gouache and pencil on paper
Not on view
William H. Johnson, Farm Couple, ca. 1940, gouache, pen and ink with pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.1057
Farm Couple
Dateca. 1940
gouache, pen and ink with pencil on paper
Not on view
William H. Johnson, Blind Musicians, ca. 1939-1940, recto: gouache on paper
verso: crayon and pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.1129R-V
Blind Musicians
Dateca. 1939-1940
recto: gouache on paper verso: crayon and pencil on paper
Not on view