Head of 'Water'

At the Salon of 1737 Adam exhibited a group of busts of the elements. The terracotta model for the head of Water in the Hermitage shows that the vein of poetry in Adam's 'fancy pieces' was very real. The limpid treatment of the hair, the ardent yet wistful gaze, reveal an unusual delicacy and response, perhaps more those of a modeller than a carver.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 28 minutes): George Frideric Handel: Water Music, Suite No. 1