New to the Collection: Margaret F. Foley’s Graziella—A Capri Girl, 1868

Margaret F. Foley was a well-regarded member of a flourishing expatriate community of American women sculptors working in the neoclassical tradition in Rome in the mid-nineteenth century. From humble beginnings in Vergennes, Vermont, Foley first cultivated her sculpture practice as a cameo cutter; her deft and elegant carvings earned her widespread recognition as a promising young artist and ultimately enabled her journey to Italy at the age of 34. She was accompanied by fellow sculptor Emma Stebbins, who invited Foley to share her studio. Stebbins had previously studied under Maine-born sculptor, painter, and author Benjamin Paul Akers, whose iconic work, The Dead Pearl Diver (1858), is a cornerstone of the PMA collection as the institution’s first purchase. 

The subject of Foley’s roundel is a young Italian model, posing as a girl from the Italian island of Capri, who dons a headscarf and Etruscan Revival jewelry—a tell-tale trope within Foley’s broader oeuvre which often features distinctive jewelry. Purchased through Ben Elwes Fine Art, London, this exciting new acquisition will enable the Portland Museum of Art to tell a richer, more dynamic story of women’s contributions to neoclassical sculpture, transatlantic art movements, and American art more broadly. 

12:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 25: Join Athena Art Foundation for a virtual discussion about a group of remarkable American women sculptors working in mid-19th century Rome, featuring Ramey Mize, Assistant Curator of American Art.