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

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.