Head of a Spanish Peasant

Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney

1911 · Bronze · The American Wing

In addition to collecting works by twentieth-century American realist artists and founding what is now the Whitney Museum of American Art, Whitney also had a significant career as a sculptor. This realistic portrait depicts Adolphe Ramon, her studio assistant in Paris. The strong chin and downcast eyes suggest Whitney’s skill in projecting the character of her subject. The contrasting surface textures—from the smooth cheeks to the patterned scarf around Ramon’s head—create dramatic effects of light and shadow, giving the work an enhanced tactile quality.

Artist

Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney

Date

1911

Medium

Bronze

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1916