Portrait of a Woman (Lillian Dudley Owen)

Ahron Ben-Shmuel, Portrait of a Woman (Lillian Dudley Owen), ca. 1933, Tennessee marble on wood base, 14 188 1210 12 in. (36.021.626.7 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Lillian Dudley Owen in memory of Adelyn D. Breeskin, 1986.61

Artwork Details

Title
Portrait of a Woman (Lillian Dudley Owen)
Date
ca. 1933
Dimensions
14 188 1210 12 in. (36.021.626.7 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Lillian Dudley Owen in memory of Adelyn D. Breeskin
Mediums
Mediums Description
Tennessee marble on wood base
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait female — Owen, Lillian Dudley — head
Object Number
1986.61

Artwork Description

Ahron Ben-Shmuel carved this portrait of Lillian Dudley Owen in the early 1930s, possibly just before her marriage in 1934. Owen was a member of the Smithsonian National Board and founder of the Hospitality and Information Service, which provides assistance for diplomats in Washington, D.C. The portrait’s minimal detail and exaggerated features resemble archaic Greek sculpture, which the artist studied during his apprenticeship.

Works by this artist (1 item)

Elinore Schnurr, State St. Plaza #16, 1982, watercolor and pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of an anonymous donor, 1982.72
State St. Plaza #16
Date1982
watercolor and pencil on paper
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Bernard Rosenthal, Smithsonian Column, 1967, brass mounted on marble and wood base, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Bernard Rosenthal, 1968.48
Smithsonian Column
Date1967
brass mounted on marble and wood base
Not on view
Eugenie Gershoy, Sleep, ca. 1925-1930, marble mounted in wood box, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1984.143
Sleep
Dateca. 1925-1930
marble mounted in wood box
Not on view
Alan Lydiat Durst, Horse, 1938, marble on wood base, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of International Business Machines Corporation, 1966.27.2
Horse
Date1938
marble on wood base
Not on view
Rudolf Hoflehner, "The difficulty of our time is a difficulty of the human spirit."-- Albert Schweitzer, 1875-1965. From the series Great Ideas of Western Man., ca. 1971, bronze on wood and marble base, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Container Corporation of America, 1984.124.120
The difficulty of our time is a difficulty of the human…
Dateca. 1971
bronze on wood and marble base
On view