Claerchen
Bitter no doubt viewed this profile of Clare, his six-year-old niece, as a casual representation, as suggested by the sketchy, tactile handling of form. Striated tool marks add dynamism to Bitter’s characterization of his wide-eyed sitter. Once considered a means to a more polished end, the sketch aesthetic was popularized in the late-nineteenth century through low relief portraits by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and others. “Claerchen” is a diminutive form of the sitter’s name that recalls Bitter’s Austrian heritage.
Artwork Details
- Title: Claerchen
- Artist: Karl Theodore Bitter (American (born Austria), Vienna 1867–1915 New York)
- Founder: Cast by Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company (ca. 1882–1926)
- Date: 1893
- Culture: American
- Medium: Bronze
- Dimensions: 21 3/4 x 13 1/8 in. (55.2 x 33.3 cm)
- Credit Line: Gift of Estate of Hélène Vallé, 1991
- Object Number: 1992.186
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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