Memory

Daniel Chester French

1886–87, revised 1909; carved 1917–19 · Marble · The American Wing

For nearly fifty years, French included the allegorical female form in both his private and his public commissions. His involvement with Memory spanned over three decades, from his initial clay sketch of 1886 to the exhibition of this enlarged marble in 1919. The sculptor focused on conveying life’s transience through symbolism: the motif of the mirror as well as the work’s title suggests that the figure (and, by analogy, the viewer) is ruminating on the ephemeral nature of beauty, youth, and life. Memory was translated into Carrara marble by Piccirilli Brothers, the Bronx, New York, family firm responsible for carving many of French’s sculptures.

Artist

Daniel Chester French

Date

1886–87, revised 1909; carved 1917–19

Medium

Marble

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Henry Walters, 1919