Edward Arlington Foley
, Irish, 1814-1874
Title
Portrait of a GirlDate1873
MediumMarble
Dimensions
63.5 x 42 x 28 cm
SignedE.A. FOLEY SCULP. 187 3
Credit LinePurchased, 1980
Object numberNGI.8249
ProvenancePurchased, Fine Arts Society Ltd., London, July 1980Exhibition HistoryRecent Acquisitions 1980-1981, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, 5 August - 27 September 1981Trove, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, 3 December 2014 - 8 March 2015
Label TextRather than a portrait of a Victorian woman, this is an idealised classical head. Foley sculpted several busts based on the theme of antique beauty, including Helen of Troy, Oenone and Penelope. Foley was the elder brother of the successful sculptor John Henry Foley, who was also based in London. In 1873, the year in which this work was made, Foley was imprisoned for failure to pay child support and took his own life shortly after his release.