Will+o'+the+Wisp

Date: modeled 1858
 * [[image:http://ids.si.edu/ids/deliveryService?id=http://americanart.si.edu/images/1987/1987.3_2a.jpg&max=460 width="301" height="363" link="@http://www.americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=10805"]] || Title: **Will o' the Wisp**

Artist: **Harriet Hosmer** Born: Watertown, Massachusetts 1830 Died: Watertown, Massachusetts 1908

Medium: marble Dimensions: 32 1/2 x 16 3/4 x 17 in. (82.5 x 42.5 x 43.2 cm.) Smithsonian American Art Museum Museum purchase

Accession: 1987.3 || Harriet Hosmer created //Will o’ the Wisp// as a companion piece to the highly successful statue of //Puck//, the bawdy clown from Shakespeare’s play //A Midsummer Night’s Dream//. //Will o’ the Wisp// is based on the folktale of a fairy who turns into a phosphorescent glow, covering the marshes at night to mislead travelers. The pointed ears and horns allude to his mischievous character, and his bat wings and the owl atop his head refer to his nocturnal nature. The torch cradled in his right arm symbolizes his ability to assume a glowing form. Despite its appeal, //Will o’ the Wisp//---nicknamed “my daughter” by the artist---was not as popular as //Puck//.
 * Exhibition Label: **


 * Suggested Questions: **
 * What is this sculpture made out of?
 * How did this artist make this sculpture?
 * How is that different than if it were made of clay, like Devil Jug?
 * What is the purpose of Will o' the Wisp?


 * Key Concepts: **
 * Media
 * Technique- Subtractive
 * Purpose

Women Artists
 * Resources: **

Artist Biography Hosmer's Letters and Memoir SAAM Collections Page
 * Links: **