Lichen-Covered Bust Found in English Garden Is Rare Hosmer Work
A marble bust covered in lichen spent seven decades mistaken for a garden ornament in England.
It has been identified as a rare work by Harriet Hosmer, described by ARTnews as America's first female sculptor. The identification was reported on 15 September 2026.
The bust, a sculpture of a person's head, shoulders and upper chest, was found in an English garden, according to the same report. Lichen, the pale green and grey crust that grows on stone left outside, had spread across the marble. For about 70 years, the piece had been treated as decoration. That is a long time to sit through rain, frost and summer heat.
Hosmer, full name Harriet Goodhue Hosmer, was an American artist who lived from 1830 to 1908, according to background material published by Bonhams in London. The ARTnews report uses the phrase America's first female sculptor to place her in 19th-century art history. For readers meeting her for the first time, she was a 19th-century American sculptor who worked in marble.
The garden find is now expected to fetch up to US$24,300 at auction, ARTnews reported. That number is an estimate, the guide price set before bidding starts. It is not a sale price. The final result will depend on bidding on the day, in the room, online and by telephone.
There is earlier auction history for Hosmer's carving to set beside it. Bonhams, the London-based auction house, offered a carved white marble figure by Harriet Goodhue Hosmer in its Important Design auction, sale 24674. The lot sold for £15,000 inclusive, meaning with fees added, according to the house's published results from 25 April 2018. Published results list the price paid, not only the last bid called by the auctioneer.
Auction watchers will now look for condition notes, provenance, the documented chain of ownership, and photographs from all sides. Outdoor years can leave staining and surface loss. Cleaning decisions matter too.
What makes this stand out is simple. A garden ornament gets hosed down. An artwork gets researched, insured and crated.
