Title: Adrienne
Artist: Audrey Flack
Date: 2026
Material: Bronze (patinated)
Subject: depicts Adrienne de Lafayette (abolitionist and human rights advocate).
Audrey Flack (May 30, 1931 – June 28, 2024) was born in Manhattan, NY, to Polish immigrant parents. She died in Southampton, NY, at the age of 93. This sculpture was her last major project.
Audrey Flack wasn’t afraid to shake things up. She started out doing abstract expressionism, but she felt like she needed to connect with her audience on a deeper level. So, she made a bold pivot, diving headfirst into representational painting, becoming a pioneer of Photorealism. Think classical technique meets Pop Art’s vibrant energy—she totally blended the high and low, creating something groundbreaking.
But Flack’s pioneering spirit didn’t stop there. As a female artist in the 1960s, she wasn’t just asking about the role of women in the art world; she was demanding change. She taught herself sculpture to actively boost the representation of women in public spaces, creating massive statues of historical figures and allegorical women. These weren’t just statues; they were powerful statements, honoring women’s contributions while celebrating essential virtues. She put women front and center, literally!
Marie Adrienne Françoise de Noailles, Marquise de La Fayette (1759–1807), was born into one of France’s most prominent noble families in Paris. She married Lafayette in 1774, becoming the Marquise de Lafayette. With a chemist for a father and a socialite for a mother, she was well-educated and cultured. This background prepared her to be an active citizen who championed democracy and, later, abolition alongside her famous husband.
During the French Revolution, she was sentenced to be executed by the guillotine in 1795, along with other relatives. American envoys to France, James and Elizabeth Monroe, intervened to save her life by reminding the French of Lafayette’s service during the American Revolution.
After narrowly escaping the guillotine, she successfully petitioned to join Lafayette in prison at Olmütz, bringing their two daughters with her. Their son, George Washington Lafayette, avoided the guillotine because he was in America at the time. Although life in prison was difficult, the years there strengthened the family’s bond. However, her health suffered in prison, contributing to her relatively early death.