La Pensée

Henri-Michel-Antoine Chapu

National Gallery of Art

The sculpture depicts a seated figure of a woman draped in flowing garments, intricately carved to appear as though she is lifting a part of her drapery. She is seated on what resembles a bench, with a visual relief of a smaller figure in the background. The monochromatic sculpture is made of white marble. The woman is adorned with delicate features and a braided hairstyle, and the details in the drapery are meticulously rendered. At the bottom left of the sculpture, there are a couple of books layered, incorporated into the base. The sculpture appears to be slightly raised against a rectangular marble slab.