Infant Ceres

Erastus Dow Palmer

1849–50; carved 1853 · Marble · The American Wing

"Infant Ceres" was the first sculpture in the round that Palmer modeled after turning away from his work as a cameo cutter. It is based on one of his children, logically, his two-year-old daughter Fanny, who was born in 1848. She is presented in the guise of the infant Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture and abundance. The hair, decorated with a thin fillet, is pulled back and adorned with blossoms. Sheaves of wheat, Ceres’s identifying attribute, encircle the figure and are tied in front.

Artist

Erastus Dow Palmer

Date

1849–50; carved 1853

Medium

Marble

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Purchase, Gift of William Nelson and Gift of Misses Alice and Evelyn Blight and Mrs. W. P. Thompson, by exchange, 1997