Jephtha's Daughter..
By Chauncey Bradley Ives [1810-1894]
1874/ Marble..
Location: Galleries of American Art - Lower Level
Sculpture Court [Gallery: 161]..
The marker reads..
Jephtha's Daughter depicts a character from the Old Testament book of Judges. An Israelite leader engaged in war against Ammonites, Jephtha, promised that if God assured his victory, he would sacrificed whoever met him upon his return home from battle. Jephtha prevailed but when he arrived at his house, his only child, a virgin daughter, greeted him jubilantly. Here we see the young woman grieving over her imminent tragedy, her tambourine stilled and her head and shoulders drooping with weight of her knowledge. For audiences of the day, this work represented a form of tragic female bravery - an innocent victim, who was obedient, virginal and ultimately unrewarded..
For more on.. [click on the link]..
The Art Institute of Chicago...
2 comments:
holy
One of the saddest stories I know from the Bible is represented in this sculpture. When I saw it a few years back, I was literally moved to tears - something that I never had experienced with a sculpture. The tragic combination of happiness represented by the tambourine and the sadness in her eyes so cleanly illustrates the emotion.
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