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Sursum, marble, modeled 1864, cut 1866
After Ney established the original Formosa studio in Madeira, she modeled this sculpture using two boys living on the island as models. The statue was originally titled Genii of Mankind, but later retitled Sursum, the Latin word meaning “to uplift.”…
Dancing Maenad, plaster, 1895
Ney executed this statue as part of a competition sponsored by the last German emperor, Wilhelm II. German scholars had recently excavated the Acropolis and brought back fragments of the celebrated Pergamon Altar to reconstruct in Berlin. The…
Left Foot (Model 312), manufactured by Caspar Hennecke & Co, Milwaukee, n.d.
Manufactured by Caspar Hennecke & Co of Milwaukee.
Nose (mass produced), n.d.
Ney created many plaster casts of the human body, sometimes using friends or family members as models. The over-sized nose featured here was said to be based on that of Michelangelo's David. This large model was reproduced to be used by artists and…
King Ludwig II of Bavaria, plaster, 1869
Ney made this portrait bust of King Ludwig II as a study for the final full-size sculpture. The final marble bust is in Hohenschwangau Castle.
Amalie Weiss Joachim (1839-1899), plaster, 1867
Joseph Joachim, the Hungarian violinist, composer, and conductor, and his wife, a noted contralto, commissioned these portrait busts. The iron tacks in the bust of Frau Joachim are part of a process called pointing, in which the stonecutter takes…
Joseph Joachim (1831-1907), plaster, 1867
Joseph Joachim, the Hungarian violinist, composer, and conductor, and his wife, a noted contralto, commissioned these portrait busts. The iron tacks in the bust of Frau Joachim are part of a process called pointing, in which the stonecutter takes…
Head from a miniature bust of Edmund Montgomery, plaster, circa 1920
This study was made by Ney’s grandson, Theodore Roosevelt Montgomery (1901-1977), the fourth of Lorne’s six children. The work was modeled after Ney’s portrait of Edmund.
Tray with tools, Bowl with clay fragments
These are original tools and clay fragments from Ney’s studio.
Cast of Lorne’s left ear, 1886
Ney created many plaster casts using friends and family members as models, such as this ear of Lorne and clasped hands of Lorne and Cenci, the family’s lifelong house keeper. Some, such as the large nose (said to be modeled after Michelangelo’s…
Clasped hands (possibly Lorne and Cenci), 1880-86
This model features a pair of clasped hands, which are thought to have been those of Lorne and Cencie. Crescentia Simath, or Cencie, served as Elisabet Ney and Edmund Montgomery's long-time housekeeper. She moved several times with the couple, even…
Miller Baby, plaster, 1899
Ney created this death cast of the deceased one-month-old child of her close friends and Austin neighbors Anita and Clarence Miller. Up until the late nineteenth century, death casts were commonly made as memorials.
Unknown man, plaster, 1859
While this individual has long remained unidentified, recent scholarship has suggested that he may be Friedrich Kaulbach, the artist who painted Ney’s full-length portrait in 1860 (a reproduction of which is hanging in this room).
Justus von Liebig (1803-1873), plaster, 1868
As president of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences, Justus von Liebig was responsible for the development of chemical fertilizer, which revolutionized agriculture. Liebig and Wöhler often collaborated with each other and are known as pioneers in modern…
Friedrich Wöhler (1800-1882), plaster, 1868
Friedrich Wöhler was professor of medicine, chemistry, and pharmacy at the University of Göttingen. As a frequent attendee at his lectures, Ney was given the opportunity to execute this bust of him.
Elizabeth Wentzel-Heckmann (1833-1914), plaster, 1896
Ney made this bust on a trip to Berlin in 1896. Elizabeth Wentzel-Heckmann wears the golden collar of the Wilhelm-Orden, reading WILHELMUS T REX (for King Wilhelm), an exclusive award granted for her contributions to the social and civic life of…
Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), plaster, modeled 1859; this cast 1896
In 1857, when Ney opened her Berlin studio, she set out to persuade the famous philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer to model for a portrait bust. Famously reclusive, Schopenhauer originally refused the offer. Through her own persistence, Ney was able to…
Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882), marble, modeled 1865; cut 1866
A famous and inspirational figure in the Nineteenth Century Democracy movement, Giuseppe Garibaldi played a central role in the Risorgimento, or Italian unification, as well as uprisings in South America. In 1865 he was living in exile at his home in…
Jacob Grimm (1785-1863), plaster, modeled 1858; this cast 1863
Best known for his fairy tales, Jacob Grimm was also a language scholar who with his brother compiled the definitive German Dictionary. He personally requested a portrait bust from Ney. The finished bust was selected for display at the Berlin…
Mystery Lady, marble, cut 1865
Little is known of the identity of this mystery lady, though it has been suggested that she might be one of the daughters of Queen Victoria, or possibly Marie of Hannover, the wife of King George, whose bust Ney modeled in 1860. This marble bust was…
Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898), plaster, 1867
Ney was commissioned by King Wilhelm I to create this portrait bust of Otto von Bismarck, the Prussian chancellor and future first prime minister of united Germany. A marble version of this plaster was exhibited at the Paris Exhibition in 1868 and…
Prometheus Bound, plaster, 1865
Ney drew from her interest in classical studies by recreating the story of the Greek Titan who stole fire from the gods to give light and intellect to mankind. The arm was damaged on transport to the United States in the 1890s. Ney suffered a fatal…
Anna Elisabeth Wernze Ney, painted plaster, 1855
After finishing art school, Ney returned to her home in Münster, where she created these bas-relief medallions of her parents. These are among Ney’s earliest works in the museum. Plaster medallian, signed "E. Ney" under the collar. Painted bronze.…
Johann Adam Ney, painted plaster, 1855
After finishing art school, Ney returned to her home in Münster, where she created these bas-relief medallions of her parents. These are among Ney’s earliest works in the museum. Plaster medallian. Painted bronze. Executed 1855.
Nude Figure (Study for Lady Macbeth), plaster, 1899
Academically trained artists like Ney often made numerous small studies before completing the final work. In this statue, Ney practiced with Lady Macbeth’s contrapposto pose, the graceful S-curve of the body that suggests movement. Working first with…