Casting Call: Women in Bronze from Art Nouveau to Art Deco

Casting Call: Women in Bronze from Art Nouveau to Art Deco explores bronze depictions of the female figure in the transitional period from just before to just after World War I. Sculptures by Paul Manship, Bessie Potter Vonnoh, Harriet Whitney Frishmuth, and more reveal the tensions between the two artistic movements — Art Nouveau a reaction to the Industrial Revolution, Art Deco to World War I — as sinuous, organic lines gave way to more streamlined forms.

On view from January 25 through March 26, 2021, these bronze statues were created by American artists who brought the influences of European, particularly French sculpture and design to America. Throughout history, bronze as an art form has fallen in and out of fashion. Political and industrial developments of the 19th and 20th centuries eventually lead to the popularity of bronze statuettes as domestic ornaments in parlors all across America. 

Image info: Rhythm, Boris Lovet-Lorski (American, 1894 - 1973), Bronze, 8 x 17 x 6 inches, 1924

(image courtesy of Madron Gallery)