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Head of Pavlova

Colored sculpture of the head of a light-skinned woman with closed eyes and an elaborate jeweled headdress.

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  • Colored sculpture of the head of a light-skinned woman with closed eyes and an elaborate jeweled headdress.

Date:

1924

Artist:

Malvina Hoffman
American, 1887–1966

About this artwork

In 1910 the sculptor Malvina Hoffman saw the famed Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova perform in London, a
profound experience that ultimately led to their close friendship. Hoffman spent years capturing the exquisite
grace of Pavlova’s movement in different sculptures and reliefs, yet in Head of Pavlova she created a restrained, almost melancholic portrait of the dancer wearing an elaborate Russian headdress, her eyes nearly closed. Hoffman explained that in her portraits of Pavlova, her friend appears as a “rather sad, thoughtful person, far removed from the vivacious and exciting fairy that Pavlova represents over the footlights.”

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Malvina Hoffman

Title

Head of Pavlova

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1924

Medium

Wax on plaster with pigment, on wood mount

Dimensions

Sculpture: 40.6 × 23.5 × 15.9 cm (16 × 9 5/16 × 6 5/16 in.); Base: 24.1 × 22 × 22.2 cm (9 1/2 × 8 11/16 × 8 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Mrs. James A. Cook, Mrs. T. Clifford Rodman, and Joseph Nash Field

Reference Number

1969.833

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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