Description
In 1898 Daniel Chester French was commissioned to create six allegorical figures representing Bounty, Courage, Integrity, Prudence, Truth, and Wisdom, for the facade of the Minnesota State Capitol Building, in Saint Paul. This plaster statue is a working model and is half the size of the marble figure that appears, paired with Integrity. In his portrayal of Truth, French used symbols drawn from classical and Renaissance sources. The mirror she holds reflects life without illusions; her partial nudity alludes to the nature of truth.
Provenance
St. Paul Institute of Arts and Science, Minn., by 1968; Minnesota Museum of Art, St. Paul, 1969; Private collection, St. Paul, Minn., 1976; Hirschl and Adler, New York City, 1982; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1984.
Accession Number
102592
Medium
Plaster
Dimensions
147.1 × 53.4 × 40.7 cm (57 7/8 × 21 × 16 in.)
Classification
sculpture
Credit Line
Purchased with funds provided by Brooks McCormick; Ethyl T. Scarborough Endowment
