Charles Cary Rumsey: Small Bronzes

Myths, memorials and the vitality of life are illustrated in small bronze sculptures and studies by Charles Cary Rumsey (1879-1922). The Buffalo-born artist studied in Paris, where he developed an appreciation for the Beaux-Arts style of depicting animals and figures in bronze. His special love of horses, which deepened while playing polo and creating equine portraits, can be seen in his ability to articulate anatomy in motion. He sculpted the female figure in modes of sensuality, motherhood, and elegiac reverie, while his male figures reflected classical mythology and memorial lyricism. Small-scaled bronze works from the collection illustrate a range of Rumsey’s work over his short career, cut short by an automobile accident. The exhibition also includes a memorial portrait bust by Rumsey’s assistant, Edmondo Quattrocchi (1889-1966), which was recently donated to the museum.