J. Alden Weir

Olin Levi Warner

1880, cast 1897–98 · Bronze · The American Wing

Warner and J. Alden Weir (1852–1919) likely met in New York in 1877, when both were elected charter members of the Society of American Artists. They probably agreed to sit for each other as a demonstration of artistic camaraderie. This bust reflects Warner’s tendency to fuse idealism with individuality: Weir’s tufted hair, taut skin, and youthful verve were truthfully portrayed. Warner also took inspiration from his mentor, the French sculptor Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, whose male busts feature the same assured modeling, asymmetrical termination of undraped shoulders, alert turn of the head, and integral socle with a decorative tablet.

Artist

Olin Levi Warner

Date

1880, cast 1897–98

Medium

Bronze

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of National Sculpture Society, 1898