Ruth, Orpah, and Naomi
Medium
marble
Dimensions
sight size: 76.2 x 52.1 cm (30 x 20 1/2 in.) framed: 101 x 76.2 cm (39 3/4 x 30 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of William and Abigail Gerdts
Accession Number
2004.165.1
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Edward S. Bartholomew’s marble sculpture “Ruth, Orpah, and Naomi” (1855) portrays the tender biblical moment when the widowed Naomi urges her daughters-in-law to return to their own people after the deaths of their husbands. The work captures the emotional tension of farewell, with the three women grouped closely together in a composition that emphasizes loyalty, grief, and quiet resolve. Measuring roughly 30 by 20 inches, the piece’s intimate scale encourages close viewing and personal reflection. Carved in marble, a medium long associated with classical ideals of permanence and purity, the ...