Peace

William Ordway Partridge

ca. 1898 · Marble · The American Wing

Sculptors often attempt to render abstract concepts and themes in three-dimensional form. Here, the serene facial features, lowered eyelids, and expressionless mouth convey a state of tranquility, equated more broadly to the idea of peace by the work’s title. Ironically, “Peace” was first exhibited in 1898, the year the United States was embroiled in the Spanish-American War. In retaining rough stone around the smoothly finished head, Partridge was influenced by the marbles of the French sculptor Auguste Rodin.

Artist

William Ordway Partridge

Date

ca. 1898

Medium

Marble

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1922