Paul Manship (1885-1966)

Paul Manship conceived 'Playfulness' during his stay in Rome in 1912. Inspired by the Greek and Etruscan sculpture which he was exposed to at this time, he employed archaic stylizations such as the almond shaped eyes, the tightly woven hair and flowing drapery. The present sculpture is one of an edition of 15. Other examples are in the collections of the Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis, Missouri, The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.