Bust of a Man Francis Harwood British, 1758 27 1/2 x 19 3/4 x 10 1/2 inches
With experience copying classical antique sculptures in Florence, Francis Harwood created this exceptional sculpture which combined the elements of classical sculpture with the subject of a more modern (1700s) Black individual – a subject we do not frequently have the privilege of seeing.
In fact, this noble bust by Francis Harwood is one of the earliest known sculptures of an African by a western European artist since antiquity. There is some speculation that it could be representing Memnon, king of the Ethiopians in Greek mythology, but no one seems to be certain. Although the sitter is unknown, details like the scar on his face, the small ears, and the bags and creases under his eyes suggest that this is a portrait of a specific individual. The specificity and personality of this man distinguishes this sculpture from the decorative and generalized busts of Africans in exotic costumes that were commonly produced in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
value range adjusted from original photo to show more detail
[vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Michelle Muldrow uses the aqueous and graphic casein paint to give fresh painterly color to her urban landscapes. Her scenes describe the buzzing light and glinting metal, linoleum, and synthetic fabrics of department stores. Edited from her website: Muldrow explores the the landscape genre and what it …
[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” full_height=”yes” columns_placement=”top” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”center” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column centered_text=”true” column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”6644″ alignment=”” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][vc_column_text] Installation view of work by Raúl de Nieves, in the 2017 Whitney Biennial [/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”30″][vc_column_text] Raúl de Nieves What does it mean to be an American artist today? …
Happy New Year, and welcome to the first day of our 30 day challenge! For this first project, we’ll have you warm up and introduce yourself with a delightfully odd looking portrait. Blind contour drawing is an exercise in which an artist draws the contours of a subject without looking at the paper. The technique was introduced by Kimon Nicolaïdes in The …
It has taken me some time to realize the artistic benefits of figure drawing online vs in the studio, but I’m getting it. Whereas large fluid physical gestures with movement and energy will likely wait until we are back in the studio, drawing online puts the model within a screen, and that screen is moveable. …
Bust of a Man
Francis Harwood
British, 1758
27 1/2 x 19 3/4 x 10 1/2 inches
With experience copying classical antique sculptures in Florence, Francis Harwood created this exceptional sculpture which combined the elements of classical sculpture with the subject of a more modern (1700s) Black individual – a subject we do not frequently have the privilege of seeing.
In fact, this noble bust by Francis Harwood is one of the earliest known sculptures of an African by a western European artist since antiquity. There is some speculation that it could be representing Memnon, king of the Ethiopians in Greek mythology, but no one seems to be certain. Although the sitter is unknown, details like the scar on his face, the small ears, and the bags and creases under his eyes suggest that this is a portrait of a specific individual. The specificity and personality of this man distinguishes this sculpture from the decorative and generalized busts of Africans in exotic costumes that were commonly produced in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
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