Alfred Gilbert
English, 1854–1934
Comedy and Tragedy: Sic Vita
Modeled 1891–92, cast c. 1902–05
This boy’s twisting pose encourages us to walk around him, where we discover the cause of his pained expression—a bee stinging his leg. If we look at the boy’s face through the mouth of the theatrical mask he carries, however, he appears to be laughing. The ingenious composition encapsulates the two opposing aspects of drama: comedy and tragedy. It also refers to circumstances in the artist’s private life, a mixture of public success and personal distress. In Latin, sic vita means “such is life.”
| Medium | bronze |
| Dimensions | 26 1/2 × 12 1/4 × 10 1/2 in. (67.3 × 31.1 × 26.7 cm) Base: 3 1/2 × 6 5/8 × 6 5/8 in. (8.9 × 16.8 × 16.8 cm) |
| Object Number | 2004.14 |
| Acquisition | Acquired by the Clark Art Institute with support from the Parnassus Foundation/Jane and Raphael Bernstein, 2004 |
| Status | On View |
Image Caption
Alfred Gilbert, Comedy and Tragedy: Sic Vita, Modeled 1891–92, cast c. 1902–05, bronze. Clark Art Institute, Acquired by the Clark Art Institute with support from the Parnassus FoundationJane and Raphael Bernstein, 2004.14
