ABOUT THIS ARTWORK 
 
In medieval lore, undines were Mediterranean sea spirits who lived as soulless mortals. In the 19th century, a popular German fairy tale, “Undine,” told the story of a water spirit that gains a human form and soul by marrying the mortal knight she loves. When he proves unfaithful, the water spirits require that she kills him in an embrace that will drown him with tears. In this work, “Undine Rising From the Waters” (1880), Chauncey Ives depicts the moment when the mournful Undine, cloaked in a white veil, rises from her liquid to human form to take her husband’s life. Beautifully rendered, the diaphanous wet drapery is a superb example of illusionistic carving.
 
ARTWORK DETAILS
Artwork title: Undine
Edition: Limited edition of 1000
Proof of Ownership: Certification on the Ethereum blockchain under the ERC1155 protocol. Each artwork is delivered privately and directly to collectors as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that guarantee proof of ownership.
Format: Pieces consist of PNG files sized 2160x3840 pixels - 150 dpi.
Medium: Sculpture
Artwork Materials: Marble
Contract Address: 0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e
ID: 2749212597480566...
 
ABOUT THE ARTIST
A prolific sculptor who specialized in portrait busts and idealized figures, Chauncey Ives (1810-1894) made an important contribution to the tradition of Neoclassicism in the U.S.  He was active in New Haven and New York, sculpting portraits of prominent figures, until 1844, when he went to Florence, with financial help from collectors. While continuing to produce portrait busts, he also turned to figurative subjects inspired by mythological and literary sources, such as Undine Rising From the Waters. In 1851, Ives moved permanently to Rome (the epicenter of the Neoclassical movement), where he formed part of a coterie of American expatriate artists.
 
COLLECTION CREDITS
Historical curatorship: HARI - Historical Art Research Institute (HARI Editions)
Artwork: Chauncey Bradley Ives
Year of original publication: 1880 - 1884
Post-production: HARI - Historical Art Research Institute (HARI Editions)
Digital art supervisor: Marie-Lou Desmeules
Editorial: Braden Phillips
Historical research: Evangelos Rosios, Braden Phillips
Executive production: Victor Zabrockis
 
RIGHTS OVERVIEW
Source of artwork: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Underlying work rights: CC0
Digital copyrights: CC0