Love's Anguish

A sculpture in white Carrara marble of a woman titled, Love’s Anguish by South African artist Fanie Eloff (1885-1947). The artwork was not created by Eloff as a portrait per se but rather as an expression of infinite sadness. According to Eloff, this work was inspired by a friend and young woman he knew. The anguish was related to a young man that she was in love with, but he abandoned her to go back to Austria. Unbeknownst to her, the same man, walked up behind her and closed her eyes with his hands. She tilted her head back and Eloff saw the infinite sadness on her face that inspired the work. Eloff donated this work to the University of Pretoria in 1933.