Harriet Whitney Frishmuth
(American, 1880-1980)
Crest of the Wave, 1925
bronze
inscribed HARRIET W. FRISHMUTH ©1925, and stamped GORHAM CO FOUNDERS OFHL
21"h

Localized areas of verdigris patina, most prominent in the hair and and wave. Localized scuffs, minor scratches and wear to the patina. A few small chips and cracks to the marble base. What appears to be a "2201" visible to the right of the foundry mark. Overall good condition. Additional images are available upon request.

Biography:
Harriet Whitney Frishmuth was born in 1880 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After her parents divorced, she moved with her mother and sisters to Europe. She studied with Auguste Rodin in Paris and Cuno von Uechtritz-Steinkirch in Berlin. Upon her return to America, Frishmuth continued her training at the Art Students League of New York and apprenticed with sculptor Karl Bitter. In addition, Frishmuth did design work for Gorham Manufacturing Company. As her career advanced, she became best known for representing female figures in bronze, particularly dancers. Frishmuth's smaller works were sought after for private collections and museums, whereas her larger-scale creations were often acquired for gardens, fountains, and public squares. Following a successful run of exhibitions in the 1920s at venues like the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia and the Salon in Paris, Frishmuth saw the market for her work mostly dry up during the Great Depression. However, she remained active in her Sniffen Court studio in New York throughout the 1930s. Given her unfavorable opinion of modern art, Frishmuth produced much less work in the decades that followed. In 1980, she died in Waterbury, Connecticut and is buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia. Having garnered many awards during her lifetime, a large collection of Frishmuth's drawings is now held at Syracuse University.