Claerchen

Karl Theodore Bitter

1893 · Bronze · The American Wing

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.

Artist

Karl Theodore Bitter

Date

1893

Medium

Bronze

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Estate of Hélène Vallé, 1991