Harriet Whitney Frishmuth 1880 - 1980

Anthony Childs Inc., Washington, D.C.
Acquired by the present owner from the above, circa 1980s

Charles N. Aronson, Sculptured Hyacinths, New York, 1973, pp. 158-61, 212, illustration of another example
Janis Conner and Joel Rosenkranz, Rediscoveries in American Sculpture: Studio Works, 1893-1939, Austin, Texas, 1989, pp. 39-40
Janis Conner, Frank Hohmann, Leah Rosenblatt Lehmbeck, Thayer Tolles, et al., Captured Motion: The Sculpture of Harriet Whitney Frishmuth, A Catalogue of Works, New York, 2006, no. 1926:1, pp. 37, 48, 86, 105, 251, 277, illustrations of other examples pp. 87, 250

This work is in very good condition. The patina is mottled green and brown. There are two small scratches in the surface on the figure's right thigh and on the right side of her torso. There is rubbing along the front of the figure's bent arm, back of her right shoulder, and at high points of her hair and the wave. The sculpture is mounted on a 1 ¼ -inch tall pale green marble base that has a small chip at the back on the right.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Enamored with the energetic spirit of Joy of the Waters, which he first saw in his neighbor’s garden in Washington, D.C., the noted trial lawyer Frank J. Hogan sought to purchase a cast of the sculpture for his own property. Not wanting to offend her earlier client with placement of the same work right next door, Frishmuth suggested that she design a similar sculpture for Hogan resulting in Crest of the Wave.  Hogan requested the new model “exude a similar energetic spirit and that it be piped so as ‘to have the body played upon by water at all times when the fountain is in use’” (Janis Connor, et. al., Captured Motion: The Sculpture of Harriet Whitney Frishmuth, New York, 2006, p. 37). This smaller version may have been conceived as a study for Frishmuth’s larger sculpture for Hogan.

With characteristic charm and lyrical liveliness, Crest of the Wave possesses both a raw power and a light-footed grace.  The figure’s left leg and right arm are completely extended, while her right leg and left arm are slightly bent, creating a pleasing and elegant counterbalance. Both Crest of the Wave and its inspiration, Joy of the Waters, remain two of Frishmuth’s most celebrated sculptures.