Skip to Content
Closed now, next open tomorrow. Closed now, next open tomorrow.

  • Mon 11–5
  • Tue–Wed Closed
  • Thu 11–8
  • Fri–Sun 11–5
  • The first hour of every day, 10–11 a.m., is reserved for member-only viewing.

The Solitude of the Soul

A white-toned, blocklike sculpture with rough areas and three highly polished nude figures emerging from the rough portions. In front, a mournful man and woman grasp tightly at each other's hands while from behind, another figure buries his head in his own crossed arms, the woman's upturned hand holding onto them.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A white-toned, blocklike sculpture with rough areas and three highly polished nude figures emerging from the rough portions. In front, a mournful man and woman grasp tightly at each other's hands while from behind, another figure buries his head in his own crossed arms, the woman's upturned hand holding onto them.

Date:

modeled in plaster 1901; sculpted in marble 1914

Artist:

Lorado Taft
American, 1860–1936

About this artwork

The Neoclassicism of the sculptors Harriet Hosmer and Randolph Rogers was replaced in the second half of the 19th century by the more realistic naturalism of French-trained sculptors such as Lorado Taft. An instructor in modeling at the School of the Art Institute for 20 years, Taft created public monuments for Chicago that made the city a center for sculpture. The figures in this work are only partly freed from the marble, a technique that emphasizes the mass and outline of the stone. Explaining The Solitude of the Soul, Taft wrote, “The thought is the eternally present fact that however closely we may be thrown together by circumstances … we are unknown to each other.”

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Lorado Taft (Sculptor)

Title

The Solitude of the Soul

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 1901

Medium

Marble

Inscriptions

Signed: "Lorado Taft Sc 1914"

Dimensions

H.: 231.1 cm (91 in.); Base: 129.5 × 105.4 cm (51 × 41 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Friends of American Art Collection

Reference Number

1914.739

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/70466/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.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.
Learn more

Image actions

Share

Suggested Terms