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Charity the Teacher
Artist:
Lorenzo Bartolini
(Italian, 1777 - 1850)
Culture: Italian
Date: Designed 1818-1824; this example, probably made ca. 1836-1845
Medium: Marble
Dimensions:
h. 51 1/2 in. (130.8 cm); w. 22 in. (55.9 cm); d. 12 in. (30.5 cm)
Credit Line: Purchased with funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Halff, Jr., by exchange
Object number: 95.1
Inscribed: "BE" on base
Label Text
This figural group is meant to stimulate public virtue by showing behavior for viewers to emulate. A woman teaches a boy to read while a younger child watches, emphasizing education. Originally commissioned by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, the work proved so popular that the Italian sculptor Lorenzo Bartolini made many replicas for sale, including this one. The flowing hair, nudity, and the woman’s toga evoke Ancient Rome, regarded as a highpoint in Italian civic life. The polished white Carrera marble also refers to the Classical past, since Roman sculpture at this time was erroneously thought to be colorless.
Lorenzo Bartolini trained in Paris with the influential French artist Jacques-Louis David, who emphasized the human body’s ability to convey meaning. Although Bartolini’s patronage by the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte’s family initially hurt his career after his return to Italy, he eventually cultivated strong relationships with foreign tourists in Rome and secured lasting aristocratic patronage and teaching positions.
(William Keyse Rudolph, 2018)
Lorenzo Bartolini trained in Paris with the influential French artist Jacques-Louis David, who emphasized the human body’s ability to convey meaning. Although Bartolini’s patronage by the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte’s family initially hurt his career after his return to Italy, he eventually cultivated strong relationships with foreign tourists in Rome and secured lasting aristocratic patronage and teaching positions.
(William Keyse Rudolph, 2018)
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.
