Carpeaux's Girl with a Shell, Washington, DC, circa 1941
- Subject
- Art Exhibitions
- Card type
- Real photo
- Date
- c. 1941 (Linen)
About this postcard
The card reproduces Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux's marble "Girl with a Shell": a nude young woman crouched on her right knee, her left hand raised to her chin, shells and a starfish caught in her long wavy hair, and a cluster of seashells at her feet on an octagonal plinth. The printed caption names the work and credits "CARPEAUX (1827-1875)"; the Kress Collection loan line places it at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Carpeaux was a leading French sculptor of the Second Empire, known for naturalistic figures with lively movement. The marine attributes and the figure's introspective pose fit the academic taste for allegorical sea subjects in later 19th-century sculpture. The National Gallery opened in 1941, and the Kress Collection formed a core of its early holdings, which dates this museum reproduction to the mid-20th century.
Postcard Details
WASHINGTON, D. C.
Postcard record
| Publisher | National Gallery of Art |
|---|---|
| Series | [A-65] |
| Condition | Good |
| Publisher | National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC |
| Notes | Sepia photographic print with a plain white margin along the bottom edge; visible creases and light surface wear, no printed text on the front. No postmark. Divided-back privately printed card; white border; glossy photo finish; creases and edge wear. |
Cite this card
Carpeaux's Girl with a Shell, Washington, DC, circa 1941, postcard, c. 1941. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/carpeauxs-girl-with-a-shell-washington-dc-circa-1941. Accessed November 2, 2026.