Collections record Beta

Bas Relief - "Virgo"

1971-14-2

Aluminum bas relief depicting a winged woman holding grain (Virgo). The aluminum relief is mounted on a wooden base painted teal.

This relief sculpture was designed by the artist for the ocean liner, the S.S. America. Prior to the United States' involvement in WWII Purves had been commissioned to create artwork for the ship. After the country became involved with the war the ship was converted to a war time ship. After the close of the war when the ship was being converted back to an ocean liner it was discovered that the interior of the ship had been stripped of the artwork. The ocean liner company contacted Purves at that time to begin recreating the original artwork he had produced for the ship prior to the war. After Purves had begun his work he received word to stop because the original artwork had been located in the hull of the ship. The relief in the collection of the Historical Society is one of the replacement pieces Purves had cast for the S.S. America after the war before receiving word that it was not necessary because the original artwork had been located.

Born in Philadelphia, Austin M. Purves Jr. (1900-1977) lived in the East Litchfield section of Litchfield for the last 40 years of his life. Purves studied art at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts and the Académie Julian in Paris, France, before opening a studio in New York, where he was director of the day and night schools at the Cooper Union. After moving to Litchfield, Purves taught art at Bennington College and at Yale Art School and was a member of the Architectural League of New York, the National Society of Mural Painters, and the (then newly-formed) Hartford Art School. Over the course of his career Purves did commission work for R. H. Macy & Co., the Folger Memorial Library in Washington, D.C., the American Battle Monument in Draguignan, France, the 1939 World’s Fair, various churches, ship lines and private clients, among others. In addition to commission work, Purves drew primarily from people and nature for his own personal sketches and paintings.

• Purves, Austin, 1900-1977

c.1946

Width 13 1/8"; Depth 3 1/4"; Length 21 1/2"

• wood
• aluminum
• paint