Katharine Cornell

Malvina Hoffman, Katharine Cornell, 1961, bronze on plastic covered wood base, 21 x 9 ⁵⁄₈ x 10 in. (53.3 x 24.4 x 25.4 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Charles Lamson Hoffman Family, 1985.73.5

Artwork Details

Title: Katharine Cornell
Artist: Malvina Hoffman
Date: 1961
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 21 x 9 ⁵⁄₈ x 10 in. (53.3 x 24.4 x 25.4 cm.)
Credit Line: Gift of the Charles Lamson Hoffman Family
Mediums: plastic
wood
bronze
Mediums Description: bronze on plastic covered wood base
Classifications: Sculpture
Subjects: Portrait female — Cornell, Katherine — bust
Performing arts — theater — performer
Object Number: 1985.73.5
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.73.5

Artwork Description

Katharine Cornell’s father managed a theater in Buffalo, and when Katharine was a child she wrote and performed plays for her family and friends. In her twenties, she wrote a play, and the director suggested she try acting. Her career flourished and she toured the United States several times, drawing large audiences and critical acclaim. She favored dramatic roles and had a “fiery” stage presence, which she credited to her stage fright, claiming it caused her to work even harder. Here, Malvina Hoffman shows Cornell with an intense downward gaze and voluminous, manelike hair, capturing the dramatic flair the actress was known for.