Jenny Lind was an acclaimed Swedish opera singer (1820-1887) who performed in Europe and the United States.  Margaret Foley carved this nearly life-size marble portrait at her studio in Rome, Italy, although there is no evidence that she ever met Lind.  Foley was mainly a portraitist, usually doing sculptures for Americans visiting Rome.  The portrait medallion represents an era called Neoclassicism, during which Greek and Roman art and architecture became very popular.  The details of Lind's face and hair are influenced by Greek and Roman styles, as well as following written accounts of how Lind actually looked.

Some questions to ask yourself:

• Why do you think Foley chose to depict Lind in profile?
• What is the difference between doing a portrait like this one (a sculpture medallion) and a painting?  What ideas is it possible to express in sculpture that you can't do in a painting?
• How does not using color in the artwork affect your viewing experience differently than if the medallion had been painted?

Fourth Artwork