Provenance

Mrs. John W. Simpson

Seney, Kate
Simpson, Kate Seney

American, c. 1869 - 1943

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Auguste Rodin, Aurora and Tithonus, 1905 or 1906, plaster, Gift of Mrs. John W. Simpson, 1942.5.20

Aurora and Tithonus

Auguste Rodin · 1905 or 1906 · plaster ·  Accession ID  1942.5.20

This free-standing, bronze sculpture shows a nude, muscular, young man standing with his right hand, to our left, raised to the top of his head. In this photograph, his body faces us but his head turns slightly to our left toward the raised hand. He stands on a square base with his feet together and his right knee, on our left, slightly bent. That arm is raised in front of him with the elbow bent back so his hand grasps his short hair. His eyes and full mouth are closed. His other arm is also bent at the elbow at his side so that hand is at shoulder level, his fist curled. The dark gray bronze has a green patina in some areas, especially along the ribcage, the inner thighs, and the top surface of the raised arm.
Auguste Rodin, The Age of Bronze (L'Age d'Airain), model 1875-1876, cast 1903-1904, bronze, Gift of Mrs. John W. Simpson, 1942.5.10

The Age of Bronze (L'Age d'Airain)

Auguste Rodin · model 1875-1876, cast 1903-1904 · bronze ·  Accession ID  1942.5.10

A woman kneeling with both arms raised by her head is carved from white marble in this freestanding sculpture. In this photograph, her body is angled slightly to our right and her face turns toward us. Her face and body are smooth and carved so her features appear soft and indistinct. Both elbows are raised by her long, textured hair as if caught mid-stretch. Chisel marks are also visible on the base, which appears to be a rounded boulder on which she kneels.
Auguste Rodin, Morning, 1906, marble, Gift of Mrs. John W. Simpson, 1942.5.18

Morning

Auguste Rodin · 1906 · marble ·  Accession ID  1942.5.18

This free-standing bronze sculpture shows a nude, muscular man sitting on a rock and resting his chin on the back of his right hand, with that elbow propped on his left knee. In this photograph, the man’s body is angled slightly to our left. He hunches a bit as his body twists so his right elbow, on our left, reaches the opposite knee. His other rests along his leg so the hand dangles beyond the knee. The man has short-cropped hair, a furrowed brow, an angular nose, and lines around his mouth and eyes. The foot on our right rests higher on the rock so that knee juts up a little higher than the other. The bronze has a greenish patina, especially noticeable along the top of the man’s head and shoulders and the front of his lower legs.
Auguste Rodin, The Thinker (Le Penseur), model 1880, cast 1901, bronze, Gift of Mrs. John W. Simpson, 1942.5.12

The Thinker (Le Penseur)

Auguste Rodin · model 1880, cast 1901 · bronze ·  Accession ID  1942.5.12

Auguste Rodin, Head of Saint John the Baptist, 1887, plaster, Gift of Mrs. John W. Simpson, 1942.5.25

Head of Saint John the Baptist

Auguste Rodin · 1887 · plaster ·  Accession ID  1942.5.25

Carved from white marble, the head and chest of a woman emerge from a base of rougher stone in this free-standing sculpture. In this photograph, the woman leans slightly to our left and her head tips down that way, as she looks off to our right. Her hair is loosely pulled up into a bun on top of her head. She has a straight nose, thin lips, and a square jaw. A bumpy area at the front of her low-cut bodice suggests a floral corsage. Her neck, the top of her shoulders, and her chest are polished smooth, but below the scooped neckline, the stone turns rough and parallel chisel marks are visible. Two dark veins in the marble run through the sculpture near each shoulder.
Auguste Rodin, Katherine Seney Simpson (Mrs. John W. Simpson), 1902-1903, marble, Gift of Mrs. John W. Simpson, 1942.5.16

Katherine Seney Simpson (Mrs. John W. Simpson)

Auguste Rodin · 1902-1903 · marble ·  Accession ID  1942.5.16

A young man and child, both with pale skin, are framed within the rectangular opening of a stone window in this vertical painting. At the center, the young man leans toward us over his forearms, which rest on the wide ledge. Angled to our right, he holds a long straw to his mouth to blow a large, glistening bubble that hangs on the opposite end. A second straw rests in a glass cup filled with white liquid, presumably soapy water, that sits near his right elbow, on our left, and he looks down at the bubble. His chestnut-brown hair is tied back with a black ribbon, and curls hang down from his temple. He wears a brown jacket over a white shirt. A younger child peeks over the ledge to our right and also looks at the bubble. Seen from the nose up, the child wears a hat that curves up and over the crown of the head. The face of the brown stone building into which the window is cut seems close to us. A vine of ivy climbs up the face of the building to our left.
Jean Siméon Chardin, Soap Bubbles, probably 1733/1734, oil on canvas, Gift of Mrs. John W. Simpson, 1942.5.1

Soap Bubbles

Jean Siméon Chardin · probably 1733/1734 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1942.5.1

The head and shoulders of a young woman with an elaborate updo is shown in this free-standing terracotta bust. Her shoulders face us and her head tips to our left in this photograph. She looks at us from the corners of her eyes under low brows. She has a snub nose, her bow-shaped lips are parted, and she has smooth, full cheeks in her round face. Curls are piled atop her head and some rest low on her forehead. Her hair along with a flower to one side and a suggestion of a hat are indistinct because of the loose sculpting here. More hair falls down the right side of her face, to our left, and down the nape of her neck. A bow is tied like a choker and ruffles suggest a bodice and perhaps a coat. The bust ends in an upward curve and rests on a polished, white stone pedestal.
Auguste Rodin, Bust of a Woman, 1875, terracotta with plaster and paint, Gift of Mrs. John W. Simpson, 1942.5.3

Bust of a Woman

Auguste Rodin · 1875 · terracotta with plaster and paint ·  Accession ID  1942.5.3

Molded in tan-colored terracotta, a person kneels and leans forward against an L-shaped stump-like form in this freestanding sculpture. The person’s head is to our left in this view, and the breasts are visible. She leans forward onto her forearms with her wrists crossed, so her hands are near her chin and closed mouth. She has short hair and full lips. The area around her eyes is loosely sculpted. One knee is bent and the other is mostly straight as if the foot were reaching toward the ground. The stump is especially loosely formed, and the sculpture sits on a wooden plank. The piece is photographed against a gray background.
Auguste Rodin, Eve Eating the Apple, c. 1885, terracotta, Gift of Mrs. John W. Simpson, 1942.5.7

Eve Eating the Apple

Auguste Rodin · c. 1885 · terracotta ·  Accession ID  1942.5.7

The sculpture features a relief of two intertwined human figures on a rectangular slab with a raised border. The material is a pale, stone-like substance. The figures are highly textured, depicting musculature and contours. The sculpture conveys movement and interaction, with the figures merging within the frame.
Auguste Rodin, The Lovers, model mid 1880s, cast after 1900, plaster, Gift of Mrs. John W. Simpson, 1942.5.23

The Lovers

Auguste Rodin · model mid 1880s, cast after 1900 · plaster ·  Accession ID  1942.5.23

Bibliography

1943

  • "Mrs. John W. Simpson" (obit.). New York Times. 12 January 1943: 23: 4.

2000

  • Butler, Ruth, and Suzanne Glover Lindsay, with Alison Luchs, Douglas Lewis, Cynthia J. Mills, and Jeffrey Weidman. European Sculpture of the Nineteenth Century. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 2000: 409-431