Bess

Created by sculptor Katharine Lane Weems (1899-1989), who attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts starting in 1917, Bess is modeled after an Indian Rhinoceros of the same name whom Weems studied at the Bronx Zoo while developing her skills in observational sculpture.  

 As Weems fell in love with observing and capturing the unique forms of the natural world, she gained a reputation as a talented animal sculptor. In 1937, Weems was commissioned by Harvard University to create artworks to adorn their newly constructed, state-of-the-art Biological Laboratories, and the meticulously documented Bess from her school days would serve as the model for a pair of bronze Indian Rhinos that flank the building’s entrance.  

Nearly 50 years later, Weems used the surviving cast from one of the original sculptures to render Bess in fiberglass—coated to look like a patinated bronze—to commemorate the renovation and expansion of her alma mater. In 1989, Bess was installed outside of the SMFA’s main building, where she has served as a reminder of the art school’s storied history and an informal mascot for the student population ever since.  

In 2023, Bess was accessioned into the Tufts University Permanent Collection via a transfer from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.   

Bess is currently undergoing restoration and will be off view until July 2025.