Hannah Rohr Tuffs

Augustus Saint-Gaudens American

Not on view

During Saint-Gaudens’s years as a cameo cutter’s apprentice, he helped his employer meet the demand for carved shell broaches, bracelets, and other wearable keepsakes. His portrait of New York attorney John Tuffs (1990.78.1a,b) is believed to be his earliest surviving work. More than ten years after ordering the portrait of her husband, Hannah Rohr Tuffs (1829-1905) commissioned her pendant cameo when visiting Rome with her sister. By this time Saint-Gaudens established as a professional sculptor, cutting cameos for additional income. He expertly rendered her features in sharp profile. Her attire reflects a prim simplicity, but the elaborate hairstyle imparts an elegant touch. The pair is housed in original velvet-lined leather cases.

Hannah Rohr Tuffs, Augustus Saint-Gaudens (American, Dublin 1848–1907 Cornish, New Hampshire), Shell, American

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Hannah Rohr Tuffs, Augustus Saint-Gaudens (American, Dublin 1848–1907 Cornish, New Hampshire), Shell, American
Hannah Rohr Tuffs, Augustus Saint-Gaudens (American, Dublin 1848–1907 Cornish, New Hampshire), Shell, American

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