Metadata
Title
R. Swain Gifford
Creator
William R. O'Donovan
Date
1879
Description
Plaster portrait bust of R. Swain Gifford. The subject gazes straight ahead toward the viewer. Surface patina accentuates the texture of the subject’s short cropped hair and full beard. “RS GIFFORD” is incised on the bottom front of the bust.
Robert Swain Gifford (1840 – 1905) was an American painter and printmaker. He spent much of his youth in the coastal areas of Massachusetts and Connecticut, where he developed an affinity for New England land- and seascapes. In 1866, he settled in New York City, where he taught art for nearly thirty years at the Cooper Union School, and helped establish the New York Etching Club. He won medals at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition and numerous other venues. His work is represented in a number of institutions, including the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
William Rudolf O'Donovan (1844 – 1920) was a successful self-taught sculptor. Born in Virginia, he served in the Confederate Army. After the Civil War, he opened a studio in New York City and began his career as a well-regarded professional sculptor, producing many public monuments as well as portrait busts and bas reliefs of prominent persons, including Walt Whitman, Thomas Eakins, and George Washington.
Robert Swain Gifford (1840 – 1905) was an American painter and printmaker. He spent much of his youth in the coastal areas of Massachusetts and Connecticut, where he developed an affinity for New England land- and seascapes. In 1866, he settled in New York City, where he taught art for nearly thirty years at the Cooper Union School, and helped establish the New York Etching Club. He won medals at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition and numerous other venues. His work is represented in a number of institutions, including the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
William Rudolf O'Donovan (1844 – 1920) was a successful self-taught sculptor. Born in Virginia, he served in the Confederate Army. After the Civil War, he opened a studio in New York City and began his career as a well-regarded professional sculptor, producing many public monuments as well as portrait busts and bas reliefs of prominent persons, including Walt Whitman, Thomas Eakins, and George Washington.
Extent
23.0" H
Medium
Plaster
Provenance
Gift of Mrs. Robert S. Ross
Collection
General Collection, Museum Collection, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Identifier
1992.M03.01
Rights
http://www.philaathenaeum.org/rights.html