Figure Holding Floral Garland

One of the reasons I love maintaining this blog is it does not only allow me to look closer at the small details when I roam around St. Pete, it also takes me on the road of learning more about the city and the figures that contributed to its wonderful history. In composing this post, I found out these statues at Straub Park were originally from a private collection.

From the Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog:

Description:
Full-length female figure wearing classical robes and holding a garland of flowers across her waist. She wears a loose fitting robe that falls off her shoulders baring her proper left breast. Her head is turned towards proper right, and she has long flowing hair parted in the middle. She stands with weight on proper left leg; proper right leg is bent at the knee. Sculpture rests on a three-tiered base.

Provenance:
Gift of Snell, C. Perry, Jan. 1927.
Formerly located Mirror Lake Branch Library, Fifth Street Third Avenue North, St. Petersburg, Florida
Formerly located Snell Isle, St. Petersburg, Florida

Remarks:
Sculpture was originally cast in Italy and purchased by C. Perry Snell in the 1920s. Snell bought about 25 statues for his real estate development, Snell Isle, that opened on October 15, 1925. Most of the statues were located on public land in the development. A letter dated Jan. 18, 1927 indicated that Snell donated the statues to the city. IAS files contain related article from St. Petersburg Times, June 30, 1990, and other related articles about vandalism at Straub Park.

“One’s destination is never a place,
but a new way of seeing things.”
– Henry Miller

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