Edith Barretto Stevens Parsons

Marguerite Singer Smith, Darien, Connecticut

Bonhams, New York, 22 May 2007, lot 2058 (consigned by the estate of the above)

Acquired from the above by the present owner

Edith Barretto Stevens Parsons is best known for her joyous garden statues. In the early 20th century, horticulture became a national aspiration alongside magazines like House and Garden or Country Life, and outdoor sculpture blossomed in popularity. Like sculptors Bessie Potter Vonnoh, Harriet Frishmuth, and Frederick William MacMonnies, Parsons specialized in whimsical bronzes. 

Parsons’ cheerful depictions of children and small animals, such as Laughing Frog Baby and Turtle Baby, are enduringly beloved for their levity and exquisite craftsmanship. Duck Baby, also known as The Big Duck, is an exuberant testament to childlike wonder, the duck’s feathers and child’s hair each modeled with delicate detail. In 1922, one of Parson’s original casts had the honor of representing her in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ 117th annual exhibition.