Woman with Bird (or Innocence)

Italian, ca. 1853
H. 59”
Original location: East or West side of the center gazebo
Location of original: Lobby of McWorther Pharmacy Building

This may be the statue that Adelicia referred to in her will as Innocence. The woman in this statue is holding a Dove. While the Dove is most often used to portray the Holy Spirit it can also be used to portray several other attributes one of which is purity. In the 1758-60 of Cesare Ripa’s Iconologia the dove is used as a symbol of Chastity. The prudish Victorians would use a less sexual term such as innocence. [Cesare Ripa Baroque and Rococo Pictorial Imagery first published around 1758-60. Reprinted Dover Publications, Inc.: New York. Plate 48]