Morning Glory

Copied Joel Tanner Hart, Morning Glory, modeled ca. 1868, carved 1872, marble, 38 5⁄8 x 12 x 13 in. (98.1 x 30.5 x 33.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1986.29
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Morning Glory
Artist
Date
modeled ca. 1868, carved 1872
Location
Dimensions
38 5⁄8 x 12 x 13 in. (98.1 x 30.5 x 33.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
marble
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure female — full length
  • Object — flower — morning glory
Object Number
1986.29
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1986.29

Artwork Description

Nineteenth-century artists often created images of children to evoke innocence and virtue, ideals that were particularly important after the Civil War, when the nation seemed to have lost its innocence. Joel Tanner Hart created this sculpture after seeing a young girl absorbed in collecting morning glories in the folds of her dress. The roses and lilies, even the white marble itself, symbolize the girl's purity, while the morning glory represents the fleeting nature of childhood.