Ellen Oxholm, f. O'Kelly 1851

This is H.W. Bissen's marble bust of Ellen Oxholm. Marble is a metamorphic rock, prized for its beauty and workability. Sculptors have used it for millennia. But consider, the transformation from quarry to artwork involves an immense amount of labor. This bust would have begun with the extraction of raw material and preliminary shaping with heavy tools, then finer carving, and finally polishing. The labor involved in creating this sculpture reflects broader social issues. Bissen was a highly skilled artist, and his work catered to the elite. This bust commemorates a specific individual, signaling status and wealth. Though it looks effortless, this refined sculpture represents a great deal of physical labor, along with the social structures that made such a commission possible. Considering the material, making, and context allows us to understand the full meaning of the artwork and challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.