John Magee Ellsworth

Thomas Ball

1876 · Marble · The American Wing

In 1876 the family of John Magee Ellsworth (1874-1921) made a stop at Ball’s studio in Florence during their Grand Tour of Europe, resulting in a commission for full-length portrait of two-year-old Ellsworth. He is depicted nude, in a contrapposto pose, holding drapery in his left hand and raising his right one in greeting. The original accompanying mahogany pedestal (28 3/4 in. H) is identical to those favored by fellow American expatriate sculptor Hiram Powers, whose Florentine estate adjoined Ball’s property. It was quite possible fashioned by the same workers.

Artist

Thomas Ball

Date

1876

Medium

Marble

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Charles A. Van Rensselaer III, in memory of his aunt, Elisabeth Van Rensselaer Ellsworth, 1992