1887

"Strength" Vase

This impressive vase was first shown with its pair (unlocated) at the Paris Universal Exposition of 1889. Purchased by museum trustee John T. Morris in 1893 at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, it was eventually given to the museum by his sister Lydia. Described as a "Greek" vase, its subject was a source of curiosity to Morris, who wrote directly to its maker for further information. "This time the subject is very simple," Marc-Louis-Emmanuel Solon replied, "and chosen chiefly as an occasion of showing female figures in various attitudes. It is not to be forgotten that this vase is only one of a pair. On the two vases were contrasted ‘Grace and Strength.’" Possessing Greek-style vases implied familiarity with classical subjects, although as Solon explained, he considered the figures here simply formal elements in his composition.