Chauncey Bradley Ives

The name Undine is derived from the Latin unda, which translates to “wave” or “water.” Its origins come from the writings of Paracelsus, a 16th century swiss alchemist, who posited that they were spirits born from water. In the ensuing years, this imagery grew in popularity, and in the 19th century, during the height of Romanticism, authors and artists alike employed the motif of the Undine in their works, as demonstrated by the present sculpture by Chauncey Bradley Ives.

This sculpture takes its inspiration from the 1811 Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué novel, Undine, which told the haunting story of a young water nymph who fell in love with a human knight, and, once he proved unfaithful, was forced by her family and the laws of her society to kill him.

The present work captures the moment in Fouqué's story when Undine rose from a fountain to take the life of her former lover. The delicately carved veil clings to her body, as if it was soaked with the water Undine inhabits. Her arms are outstretched, above her head, lifting the waterlogged veil. The weight of the fabric is captured through the beautifully executed, long folds in the material, as it hangs over her.

This sculpture is emblematic of America's participation in the Neoclassical art movement. Born in Connecticut, Ives moved to Rome early in his career to study classical sculptures. His oeuvre includes both portrait sculptures of American politicians and other characteristically Romantic-era objects, such as Rebecca at the Well. Other versions of Ive's Undine Rising from the Water are in the Yale University Art Gallery (accession number: 1926.116) and the Smithsonian American Art Museum (accession number: 1993.33).