The Virgin

Andrew O'Connor American

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 774

The ideal female head was a common theme in O’Connor’s oeuvre during his first Parisian tenure (1904-14). The sculptor’s wife, Jessie, was a frequent model for these pieces and quite likely posed for this bust. The physiognomy of the expressionless Virgin, although simplified and stylized, corresponds to contemporary photographs and portrait busts of Jessie O’Connor. O’Connor's representation of the Virgin is distinguished by her long hair and ridged nose. According to the sculptor, it is a unique work. This head was exhibited in 1910 at the International Art Exposition in Venice and in 1917-18 in a solo show at Jacques Seligmann Company in New York.

The Virgin, Andrew O'Connor (American, Worcester, Massachusetts 1874–1941 Dublin), Bronze, American

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The Virgin, Andrew O'Connor (American, Worcester, Massachusetts 1874–1941 Dublin), Bronze, American
The Virgin, Andrew O'Connor (American, Worcester, Massachusetts 1874–1941 Dublin), Bronze, American
The Virgin, Andrew O'Connor (American, Worcester, Massachusetts 1874–1941 Dublin), Bronze, American
The Virgin, Andrew O'Connor (American, Worcester, Massachusetts 1874–1941 Dublin), Bronze, American
The Virgin, Andrew O'Connor (American, Worcester, Massachusetts 1874–1941 Dublin), Bronze, American
The Virgin, Andrew O'Connor (American, Worcester, Massachusetts 1874–1941 Dublin), Bronze, American
The Virgin, Andrew O'Connor (American, Worcester, Massachusetts 1874–1941 Dublin), Bronze, American

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