Butler Institute Installs Queen Catherine Sculpture

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — The Butler Institute of American Art is installing a 10-foot sculpture of Portugal’s Queen Catherine of Braganza by American artist Audrey Flack for the museum’s permanent collection.

Installation of the sculpture began Monday in the Butler’s Beecher Center Novak Gallery.

“We are proud to display this Audrey Flack masterwork within the Butler’s permanent collection. The monumental work is an incredible achievement and will fascinate visitors to the Butler’s Beecher Center south wing,” said Dr. Louis Zona, Butler director.

Queen Catherine was born into the House of Braganza, the most senior noble house in Portugal. The Portuguese princess became Queen of England when she married King Charles II in 1662. In America, the New York borough of Queens was named after her, The Butler noted in its acquisition announcement.

The 10-foot high plaster sculpture, with a 3-foot base, is part of a series of sculptures by Flack as an homage to the queen. This plaster work was a prototype for a 13-foot bronze sculpture, a commission awarded to the artist by the city of Lisbon, Portugal.

The plaster statue features a reinforced steel armature, and is presented standing on a half-dome base. An unusual element of Flack’s sculpture is an LED-lighted globe that the statue holds in her left hand, Zona noted..

Flack used Queen Catherine as a subject several times, her depictions capturing both the strength and beauty of an historic survivor, according to the Butler Institute’s announcement of the acquisition.

SOURCE: Butler Institute of American Art.

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