Dennis Miller Bunker (Garden City, New York, 1861 - 1890, Boston)
A Torso, after a river god from one of the Elgin marbles, about 1883-1884
Pencil on buff paper, 44 x 59.1 cm (17 5/16 x 23 1/4 in.)
This black-and-white pencil drawing depicts a three-quarters view of a sculpture of a naked man lying on his left side. The body is toned and idealized, but is missing its head, lower arms, and lower legs. Except in a few areas, the artist uses a thin, faint line to outline the body and uses some pencil shading to model the figure. The sculpture’s left arm is broken off at the wrist. A deep shadow drawn in the space between the outline of the body and the ground emphasizes the gentle upward curve of the torso. There is a piece of folded drapery in this space that falls over the sculpture’s upper left arm and curves in the opposite direction as his body. The figure’s upper body on his right side echoes the major curve of the torso lifting itself off the ground. His right knee is bent and lifts his right thigh just enough to continue that sweeping curve. His left thigh rests on the ground. There is an inscription at the lower right corner, and the artist has signed the sketch in the upper left corner.
Blue Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.