James L. Claghorn
William Marshall Swayne
Swayne modeled this bust of Claghorn (1817-1884) at the same time that he modeled Henry Carey's portrait. Although they were made at the same time, the Claghorn bust has a naive or primitive quality not evident in the Carey bust. The eyes contribute greatly to this effect, because they are not sculptural like those of the Carey bust but rather are simply drawn in, with little change in the depth of surface. The regularly repeated lines that define the hair and the cumbersome drapery with its profusion of folds also look naive. Nonetheless, comparison with two contemporary photographs of Claghorn preserved in the Pennsylvania Academy Archives shows the bust to be an excellent likeness.
Artist
Date of Birth
(1828-1918)
Date
1878
Medium
Plaster
Dimensions
30 x 21 x 14 in. (76.2 x 53.34 x 35.56 cm.)
Accession #
1878.2.3
Credit Line
Gift of James L. Claghorn
Copyright
No known copyright restrictions
Category
Subject
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