La Parisienne

Paul Wayland Bartlett’s portrait of a Parisienne was an appropriate subject for an American sculptor who spent most of his life and career in France. In contrast to his smoothly carved marbles, this bronze piece has a rough, textured surface that records the artist’s physical gestures in modeling the clay original. The subject is a contemporary French woman, rather than an idealized figure that the artist created to look “classical.” Bartlett’s expressive naturalism probably came from his time spent with the French sculptor Rodin.