Helen

TitleHelen

Artist Eleanor Mary Mellon (1894 - 1979)

Date1921

MediumMarble

DimensionsOverall: 17 1/2 × 11 1/2 × 8 3/4 in. Other (Sculpture): 14 × 10 3/4 × 8 in. Other (Base): 3 1/2 × 11 1/2 × 7 in.

Credit LineNational Academy of Design, New York, Gift of the artist, 1977

Object number220-S

Label TextThis sculpture shows the bust of a young woman mounted on a gold-tinted wooden base. She wears short curls and the lacy designs of a blouse are visible just below her neck. The overall effect is reminiscent of portrait busts from the Italian Renaissance, as Beatrice Proske has pointed out: "With Renaissance traditions in mind, the sculptor finished the blouse with a delicate design in low relief." The work was the first example of Mellon's art exhibited at the Academy and the artist's own satisfaction with the work is evidenced by the fact that she sent it to a number of other important exhibitions.