The Haggerty Museum of Art recently acquired a sculpture by American artist William Couper (1853-1942). "Marble Bust of A Woman," a gift of Patricia Zenda Dugan, given in memory of Marquette alumnus Thomas E. Dugan, M.D., was created from Carrara marble in 1882. It is a companion piece to Couper's "Princess," a portrait bust based on a poem by William Tennyson which can be seen at the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

Couper was one of the most noted sculptors of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Working in the neoclassical and idealistic style, his marble sculptures consist of realistic, dignified portrayals of military, historical and other figures. His sculptures can be seen in public places, institutions and museums around the globe.

"Marble Bust of A Woman" is now on view in the Haggerty Museum's Old Master gallery featuring a salon style presentation of select works from the permanent collection. Couper's piece joins a sculpture of "Figaro" (ca. 1783), by the French sculptor Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (1827-'75) given by Catherine and David A. Straz, Jr. in 1996, and a bronze "Pieta" (1945), after Michelangelo's famous "Pieta" housed in Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.