Rhapsody is one of a few rare sculptures by Harriet Whitney Frishmuth including more than one figure.
A frolicking nymph, lurching forward on one toe, pushes back on the smiling satyr who attempts to draw her towards him. The precarious balance of the figures and the tension between their motion is characteristic of Frishmuth's work.
The female figure is believed to be modeled on Desha Delteil, a famous dancer who became an artist's model. Delteil modeled for Frishmuth frequently after 1915, including for some of her most famous commissions: The Vine and The Hunt.
Resting on a black marble base, this sculpture is marked with artist's signature and the Gorham Foundry mark.
Height: 12 inches (30.5 cm)
Bibliography:
Janis Conner, et. al., Captured motion: the sculpture of Harriet Whitney Frishmuth, (New York: Hohmann Holdings LLC, 2006)., p. 35; p. 36; p. 41; pp. 176–77 (illus.); p. 250 (illus.)\