Joy
About the Sculpture
The whimsical bronze sculpture titled “Joy” by Edith Barreto Parsons was selected as the focal point of the rose garden fountain because of the appropriateness in terms of scale, style and subject matter. The architectural components of the garden draw upon influences of both the Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts movements and are further reinforced by the high style of Parsons joyful figures, Parsons captures the happiness of just being alive. The sculpture and fountain were dedicated June 5th, 2008.
Made available in authorized limited editions, the copyright has been passed on through the maternal line, and Mrs. Parsons’ granddaughter oversees the line, ensuring the accuracy of each casting. The sculpture is cast using the lost wax method.
About the Artist
Edith Barretto Parsons was born in Halifax, VA in 1878. She studied at the Arts Students League of New York with fellow sculptor Daniel Chester French. From 1908 to 1933, she exhibited regularly at the National Academy of Design. She was a member of the National Sculpture Society and the Association of Women Painters and Sculptors. Her work changed subject matter after marrying and having kids, as her own children became her models. Her series of children holding ducks, turtles, and other creatures became extremely popular, especially in the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition.
She died in New Canaan, CT in 1956. Quoting an anonymous newspaper article from the 1920s, “Though intensely reticent about herself one may, if privileged to enter that home, breathe there the spirit of the gifted woman who has been able to imprison in bronze the smile of a little child.”
Additional Information
Hamann Rose Garden
Width: 15 in.
Height: 33 in.
Location
Hamann Rose Garden, S 27th St., Lincoln 68502 View Map
40.801024, -96.682058
Hamann Rose Garden, S 27th St. ,
Lincoln 68502
Hamann Rose Garden, S 27th St. ,
Lincoln 68502
Joy