Blessed Damozel
Artist:
Bonnie McLeary
(American, 1890 - 1971)
Place made:United States
Date: 1926
Medium: Marble
Dimensions:
height: 22 1/2 in. (57.2 cm)
width: 18 in. (45.7 cm)
depth: 9 3/4 in. (24.8 cm)
Credit Line: San Antonio Museum of Art, Purchased with funds provided by the Witte Art Endowment Fund
Object number: 43.4
Inscribed: Inscribed, lower right of base, "Bonnie McLeary/Sc 1926/with seal"
Label Text
“She will reveal herself as a mysterious piece,” wrote San Antonio artist Bonnie MacLeary about her sculpture, which she based on the damozel (or damsel) in the 1850 poem “The Blessed Damozel.” Published by the English artist-writer Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the poem is about a grieving spirit in heaven who watches over her lover on earth. “Sometimes she opens her eyes and occasionally she will smile,” continued MacLeary. “Many of my friends have sat quietly in front of her and seen this happen. Another strange thing is that many people, looking at her, see a resemblance to someone that they love.”
(William Rudolph, 2017)
(William Rudolph, 2017)
On view
In Collection(s)
The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
