Embraceable You

Born today in 1898, George Gershwin went on to become one of America's most beloved composers.

Known for his piano concerto Rhapsody in Blue, Gershwin also collaborated with his brother Ira, a lyricist. Together they wrote tunes for musical theater, including the opera Porgy and Bess. The Gershwins' classic ballad, "Embraceable You," from the 1930 play Girl Crazy, reminds us of Margaret Kane's sculpture, Harlem Dancers.

Margaret Kane recalled that when she created this sculpture, “the darkest days of the Depression were over and World War II had not yet erupted. This was a happy time in my life, and the thought of two figures dancing reflected my festive, energetic mood.… All went well until I reached the section of the stone intended for the woman's dress. A smooth surface here was quite impossible because of the tiny grooves in the marble.… By rare chance my eye [fell] on a tray of unshelled peanuts. At once I knew that a shell-like design for the dress would enhance the entire piece.”

Source: Virginia Mecklenburg. Scenes of American Life: Treasures from the Smithsonian American Art Museum (exhibition text, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 1999).

Pictured: Margaret Brassler Kane, born 1909, Harlem Dancers, 1937, Tennessee marble, 29 7/8 x 14 1/2 x 14 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist.