American Art Collaborative

Maud Morgan (1860-1941) was a talented musician who became one of America’s leading harpists. She was the daughter of prominent New York organist George Washbourne Morgan. Maud studied with her father and made her professional debut in 1875. They appeared together in concerts until his death. Olin Warner’s bust of the young musician was one of his most acclaimed works. Critics especially noted that his modeling of her tilted head, wide eyes, and banded hairstyle reflected the influence of the ancient Greek sculpture that he seen in the Louvre as a student
“Olin Warner’s model for a bust of Miss Maud Morgan is exquisitely modelled and governed by a thoroughly classic grace; the filleted hair, the turn of the head, the tenderly interpreted feminine quality, all conspiring to give it irresistible charm.” George P. Lathrop, American Art Review, December 188