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Amor Caritas

A work made of bronze.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of bronze.

Date:

Modeled 1897, cast after 1899

Artist:

Augustus Saint-Gaudens (American, born Ireland, 1848–1907)

About this artwork

This angelic figure by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a foremost sculptor of the Gilded Age, is the culmination of his portrayals of allegorical women. He made similar designs for the tomb of Edwin D. Morgan in Hartford, Connecticut, and the mantelpiece in the house of Cornelius Vanderbilt II in New York. Like many other late 19th-century artists, Saint-Gaudens often modeled angels to symbolize the traditional virtues of women. Amor Caritas (Love [and] Charity) probably depicts Davida Clark, the artist’s mistress. Saint-Gaudens brought a level of naturalism to his ideal figure, particularizing the facial features and rendering the drapery so that it suggests the human form beneath.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Augustus Saint-Gaudens (Sculptor)

Title

Amor Caritas

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.

Modeled 1897

Medium

Bronze

Inscriptions

Inscribed, lower left: "AVGVSTVS./SAINT-GAVDENS/MDCCCXCVII" Plaque at top inscribed: "Amor Caritas"

Dimensions

131.4 × 80.7 cm (51 3/4 × 31 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Roger McCormick Fund

Reference Number

1982.211

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/107050/manifest.json

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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