Head of a Man (Beethoven Life Mask)

Item

Title: Head of a Man (Beethoven Life Mask)
Date: original 1812
Medium: 22 x 17.5 x 10 cm
Dimensions: Plaster
Accession Number: 2006.365
Classification: Sculpture
Label: In 1812, sculptor Franz Klein (1779-1840) created a life mask of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), German composer and pianist, which now resides in the Historical Museum of Vienna. After the Beethoven House in Bonn requested a copy in 1890, many subsequent casts followed. As a lifelong music lover, Fuller collected many items related to her interests and may have intended to create a tribute to the musician.
Description: Anterior half of a man's head with a metal loop at the top rear of the head to facilitate hanging on a wall. The head, though physically large, seems to have been modeled by a man of large stature. The cheeks are broad and lips unsmiling. There are vertical seam lines just lateral to the cheek bones and a somewhat horizontal seam line under the chin. The head has no ears, though the dimensions do afford them space.
Provenance: Gift of the Meta V. W. Fuller Trust
Location: Fuller Gallery 204 Studio (on table)
Is Part Of: Danforth Art Museum at Framingham State University