Collection
/
American Art

The Princess and the Frog

Mary Shepard Greene Blumenschein

Brooklyn Museum photograph

Object Label

In this painting prepared for the 1909 Paris Salon, Mary Shepard Greene Blumenschein, who lived and studied in Paris for over a decade, portrayed a scene from the Grimm’s fairy tale The Frog Prince. The playfully decorative composition presents both the narrative moment when the frog (who will turn into a prince) confronts the princess and the casually erotic form of a young woman. Nearly the entire composition is given over to the curled figure of the princess and her rich draperies.

The painting remains in its original frame. With its triple molding, abstracted fold forms, and Roman bronze finish, the frame complements the fantasy elements in the image.

Caption

Mary Shepard Greene Blumenschein (American, 1869–1958). The Princess and the Frog, 1909. Oil on panel, 25 1/4 x 31 7/8 in. (64.1 x 81 cm) frame: 32 3/4 x 39 1/2 x 3 in. (83.2 x 100.3 x 7.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Brooklyn Women's Club in memory of Mrs. Mary I. Greene, 18.44. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Gallery

Not on view

Collection

American Art

Title

The Princess and the Frog

Date

1909

Medium

Oil on panel

Classification

Painting

Dimensions

25 1/4 x 31 7/8 in. (64.1 x 81 cm) frame: 32 3/4 x 39 1/2 x 3 in. (83.2 x 100.3 x 7.6 cm)

Signatures

Signed lower right: "Mary Greene--Blumenschein / Paris. 1909"

Credit Line

Gift of the Brooklyn Women's Club in memory of Mrs. Mary I. Greene

Accession Number

18.44

Frequent Art Questions

  • I'm curious about this golden orb in the frog's mouth. How does that factor into the story of the Princess and the Frog?

    In the Grimm Brothers version of the tale, a princess accidentally drops her golden ball into a well. She is upset until a frog retrieves it for her. He agrees to return the ball only if she allows him to eat from her plate, drink from her cup, and sleep in her bed. In the end it's revealed that the frog is actually a prince and they live happily ever after.

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Artists and makers

Mary Shepard Greene Blumenschein

2 works in the collection