Tomb Effigy of Elizabeth Boott Duveneck

Frank Duveneck

1891; cast 1927 · Bronze and gold leaf · The American Wing

After the death of Elizabeth Boott Duveneck (1846– 1888), her bereaved husband, the painter Frank Duveneck, modeled a funerary monument with the guidance of the Cincinnati sculptor Clement J. Barnhorn. Reminiscent of Gothic and Renaissance gisant (recumbent) tomb effigies, the figure reclines peacefully, arms folded over her chest. The palm branch stretching nearly the entire length of her body symbolizes Christian victory over death and suggests that her sleep is not eternal, but temporary. The original bronze is on Elizabeth Duveneck’s grave in the Cimitero Evangelico degli Allori, the Protestant cemetery on the outskirts of Florence.

Artist

Frank Duveneck

Date

1891; cast 1927

Medium

Bronze and gold leaf

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1927