Sculpture of a Bather

Arthur B. Davies, Sculpture of a Bather, ca. 1916-1918, bronze, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of LaSalle Spier, 1980.124.10
Copied Arthur B. Davies, Sculpture of a Bather, ca. 1916-1918, bronze, 6 x 4 1⁄4 x 3 1⁄8 in. (15.3 x 10.8 x 7.9 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of LaSalle Spier, 1980.124.10
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Sculpture of a Bather
Artist
Founder
Roman Bronze Works
Date
ca. 1916-1918
Location
Dimensions
6 x 4 1⁄4 x 3 1⁄8 in. (15.3 x 10.8 x 7.9 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of LaSalle Spier
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure female — nude
  • Figure female — full length
  • Recreation — leisure — grooming
Object Number
1980.124.10
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1980.124.10

Artwork Description

Although Arthur Davies was primarily a painter, he experimented with different media, including lithography, textiles, and sculpture. After the influential 1913 Armory Show, Davies began carving a series of figures out of cedar blocks. In 1918 these figures were cast in Paris and brought back to America to be sold. Sculpture of a Bather is typical of Davies’ subject matter, in which nude females are placed in a distant, Eden-like paradise, simultaneously projecting innocence and sexuality.