A fourth surviving marble piece created by Harriet Goodhue Hosmer has drawn the attention of art enthusiasts after reports confirmed the irony of where and how it was found — in a Cotswolds garden, displayed as a reconstituted stone ornament.
Historically regarded as the first American woman to become a neoclassical sculptor in the 19th century, Hosmer created the work now identified as the garden ornament that went unrecognised for more than 70 years.
Director of Chorley’s Auctioneers Thomas Jenner-Fust said that it was during a routine house valuation that he discovered the piece.
It is anticipated to be auctioned at a price of GBP18,000 at Chorley’s in Gloucester.
A rare debut work hiding in plain sight
The bust carved in 1854 depicts Daphne, Apollo’s first love in Greek mythology, and is inscribed “Harriet Hosmer me fecit Roma” – “Harriet Hosmer made me in Rome”.
Prior to the discovery, only three verified marble versions were acknowledged by historians from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and officially listed as museum collections in the United States.
Hosmer was born in Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1830, with a talent that later earned her a place among Rome’s acclaimed female sculptors and helped her achieve financial independence.
Before her success, she encountered actress Fanny Kemble, who saw her potential as a sculptor and gave encouraging words that would soon urge her to travel to Rome and become a mentee of British sculptor John Gibson.
Hard work eventually paid off for Hosmer internationally after the creation of her popular works, such as Puck, Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, and a bronze of Senator Thomas Hart Benton.
Aside from making a name in a male-dominated field, she was known for being openly gay at a time when same-sex relationships were deemed illegal in many places and widely frowned upon.
The sculptor spent her later years between England and Rome before settling for good in her hometown.
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An overlooked heirloom’s true worth
“She was somebody who was exceptional – a real trailblazer and a feminist icon,” Jenner-Fust said.
The director’s family believe the sculpture was purchased by an ancestor at auction in the mid-1900s but could not confirm how it ended up outside in England.
“They had no idea it was marble, no idea who it was by, and no idea it was so valuable,” Jenner-Fust said, adding the homeowners were “quite surprised” by the discovery, having been “blinded by familiarity” after more than 70 years.
He urged people clearing out older homes to “be extra careful … to make sure you don’t throw anything out that could be critical.”
“It’s a bit like a treasure hunt. You never really know what you’re going to find next, and that’s the thrill of the chase,” he added.
“It also gives us a bit of comfort as auctioneers that there are still things out there, waiting to be discovered.”
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