Paul Howard Manship

Nelson Rockefeller, New York (acquired directly from the artist)

George Tsourounis, New York

Private Collection (acquired from the above circa 1986)

Sotheby's, New York, 30 November 2000, lot 92 (consigned by the above)

Marguerite and H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest, Philadelphia (acquired at the above sale)

Acquired by descent from the above by the present owner

Paul Manship’s Female Torso is a primary example of the artist’s signature style of figuration. Heavily influenced by Greek antiquity, Manship’s sculptural work is celebrated for its unique blend of the classical with more contemporary themes from the Art Deco movement that were popular at the time. Modelled circa 1936, only two years following the completion of his famed Prometheus sculpture at Rockefeller Center, Female Torso is made further significant by its provenance, having previously been in the collection of Nelson Rockefeller. 

Like many of Manship’s female forms, Female Torso evokes a similar power and grace to that of many renowned female forms of antiquity. Much like the Venus de Milo, Female Form stands with her face in profile, chin held high and shoulders back. Her knees melt into the base, ensuring the focus is on the modelling of the upper half of her body. Manship’s use of terracotta allowed for a more flexible modelling texture to that of his bronze or marble forms, which is evident in the tactile quality of the surface and the textural nature of the figure’s hair. While many of Manship’s terracotta works are limited to small relief portraits, Female Form’s much larger rendering exhibits the artist’s mastery of the medium on par with that of his marble and bronze works. Another one of Manship’s large-scale terracotta female forms is in the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, entitled Standing Nude (#2).