This ideal bronze bust marks a significant departure in Erastus Dow Palmer"˜s work from his earlier, hand-carved marble sculptures. With her head lowered in a contemplative manner, Imogen's design and overall format were inspired by the ancient classical civilizations, but her loose-fitting clothing and neatly arranged hair are rendered naturalistically. Imogen is a character in Shakespeare's dramatic romance Cymbeline, but it's not known why Palmer chose to portray this literary character