Howard Pyle's Mermaid

Howard Pyle's Mermaid was created for the 2007 Masterpieces in Miniature exhibition at the Delaware Art Museum. Both figures are full-body sculpts of polymer clay, accented with Tibetan lamb hair, golden jewelry and fine silk. Displayed under dramatic lighting during it's stay at the museum, this 1:12 scale diorama was inspired by the hand-dyed silk fabric used to interpret the seascape.

The Mermaid, 1911
Howard Pyle
(Delaware Art Museum)
click image to enlarge view

Howard Pyle has often been called the Father of American Illustration. The Mermaid, one of his best known works, is a dramatic study in opposing forces. I've always wondered: is the Mermaid saving a drowning man, or luring him to his death at the bottom of the sea?

At the time of Pyle's death in 1911, The Mermaid was still on the easel in his studio, unfinished. Despite the later addition of fish and a crab by Pyle’s student Frank Schoonover, what we see today is incomplete, and Pyle’s intentions for this work remain unknown. For more information on Howard Pyle and his art, visit delart.org

$495
Please contact me at mare@whitehorsestudio.com if you are interested in purchasing these dolls.

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All my figures are individually hand-sculpted in 1:12 scale from polymer clay. They are lovingly painted using Genesis heat set oils, costumed in the finest fabrics and wigged with English Viscose or Tibetan lamb hair. No commercial molds are used—each is a one-of-a-kind creation. Interested buyers may purchase directly online, or contact me at mare@whitehorsestudio.com. Commissions accepted. Click here for shipping information.