Figurine Seller with Two Girls

1770

Salomon Gessner

Associated Names
Salomon Gessner

Artist, Swiss, 1730 - 1788

The image shows three women from the waist up, standing closely together. The woman on the left stands in a profile view with her face turned towards the others, her hair styled up with gentle waves framing her face. She wears a sleeveless garment with a gathered waist. The woman in the middle is facing slightly towards the viewer, with curly hair cascading down her shoulders. Her facial features are soft with rounded cheeks, and her attire appears similar to that of the first woman. The woman on the right holds a basket filled with small sculptures and figures; her hair is shorter and styled in soft waves. She wears a dress with short sleeves and a gathered neckline. They are situated in an outdoor setting with a large urn adorned with sculpted figures and lush foliage visible behind them. In the background, there are relief sculptures of figures.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

  • Dimensions

    plate: 15.9 x 19.5 cm (6 1/4 x 7 11/16 in.)
    sheet: 27.9 x 38.4 cm (11 x 15 1/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1999.100.9

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Leemann-Van Elck 1930, no. 27

  • Series Title

    Idyllic Landscapes with Mythological Figures, plate 5


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Christopher Mendez, London); purchased 1999 by NGA.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1930

  • Leemann-Van Elck, Paul. Salomon Gessner: Dichter, Maler und Radierer, 1730-1788. Zurich, 1930.

Inscriptions

lower left in plate: S. Gessner inv. et f. 1770.; lower right in plate: 5; by later hand, upper right in graphite: (27/10p)

Wikidata ID

Q75430132

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