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Bertha Halozan left Austria in 1956 to seek work and a better education in the United States. She worked as a physical therapist and was a singer who performed at Carnegie Hall. A gift of paints from a friend began her artistic career. The Statue of Liberty has remained the central theme in her work since 1979 when, after suffering a stroke, Halozan spent many hours on Liberty Island lying on the lawn and looking up at the statue. Her paintings symbolize the love she has for the United States and reinforce her feeling that life should not be taken for granted. She integrates personal touches referencing her past life in Austria, seen in the inclusion of the girl in the dirndl to the left of Liberty.
Artist
Bertha Halozan
(1920 - 2004)
Statue of Liberty
Date1991
DimensionsSight: 35 9/16 × 21 5/8 in. (90.3 × 54.9 cm)
Object numberN0164.1991
Credit LineCollection of the Fenimore Art Museum. Museum Purchase
Photograph by Richard Walker
Label Text"It was Saturday, I remember it very well. They made us stay on the ship. We were not allowed to get out. I saw the Statue of Liberty from the window and thought ‘I really have to see it in person.'" - Bertha HalozanBertha Halozan left Austria in 1956 to seek work and a better education in the United States. She worked as a physical therapist and was a singer who performed at Carnegie Hall. A gift of paints from a friend began her artistic career. The Statue of Liberty has remained the central theme in her work since 1979 when, after suffering a stroke, Halozan spent many hours on Liberty Island lying on the lawn and looking up at the statue. Her paintings symbolize the love she has for the United States and reinforce her feeling that life should not be taken for granted. She integrates personal touches referencing her past life in Austria, seen in the inclusion of the girl in the dirndl to the left of Liberty.
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