"Systrarna" (=The sisters)
Signed Milles. Foundry mark L. Rasmussen Kjøbenhavn. The motif conceived 1952. Bronze, green patina. Height 84 cm.
Carl Milles started working on the magnificent “Fountain of Faith” in the National Memorial Park in Virginia, just outside Washington, in 1939 but the fountain was not finished until 1952. Milles' original order and thought was that the fountain should consist of 17 sculptures in total, set in a large pool. But as the work started, creativity took over and in the end the fountain are a total of 38 figures. "Sisters" is one of these independent sculpture groups within the “Fountain of Faith”.
The current catalog number was purchased in the early 1990s by Count Adam Wilhelm Knuth in Denmark. The beautiful composition was placed on the so called "Sisters Island" in the popular Knuthenborg Park in Denmark, where it was set as a fountain sculpture with running water.
Henrik Cornell, "Milles skönhetsvärld", 1957. Compare Millesgårdens copy ill. pl. 58.
Henrik Cornell, "Carl Milles, hans verk", 1963, compare motif from Fountain of faith in Washington, described at p. 130-131, ill. at p. 132 anf full page in colour p.176 (there called "Systrarnas återförening").
Erik Näslund, "Carl Milles - en biografi", 1991, the motif described and illustrated at pp. 283-285.