Puck

Harriet Hosmer, Puck, modeled 1854, carved 1856, marble, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. George Merrill, 1918.3.5
Harriet Hosmer, Puck, modeled 1854, carved 1856, marble, 30 1⁄2 x 16 5⁄8 x 19 5⁄8 in. (77.5 x 42.1 x 49.9 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. George Merrill, 1918.3.5
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Artwork Details

Title
Puck
Artist
Date
modeled 1854, carved 1856
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
30 1⁄2 x 16 5⁄8 x 19 5⁄8 in. (77.5 x 42.1 x 49.9 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. George Merrill
Mediums
Mediums Description
marble
Classifications
Highlights
Subjects
  • Fantasy — winged being
  • Landscape — plant — mushroom
  • Literature — character — Puck
  • Literature — Shakespeare — Midsummer Night’s Dream
  • Figure male — child — nude
Object Number
1918.3.5
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1918.3.5

Artwork Description

Harriet Hosmer created Puck out of financial necessity when her father could no longer support her in Rome. Literary themes were popular in the nineteenth century, and Hosmer chose the mischievous but adorable fairy from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Puck---or “my son,” as Hosmer called him---was an instant success with the aristocracy, including Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales and the crown princess of Germany, who, upon seeing the work, remarked, “Oh, Miss Hosmer, you have such talent for toes!”

Works by this artist (88 items)

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Thomas Moran, The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, 1893-1901, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of George D. Pratt, 1928.7.1
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Artist
Date1893-1901
oil on canvas
On view
Thomas Moran, A Mexican Hacienda, Lake Cuitzeo, 1885, oil on wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1968.120.2
A Mexican Hacienda, Lake Cuitzeo
Artist
Date1885
oil on wood
On view
Thomas Moran, Rainbow over the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, 1900, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Marion H. Conley, 1988.49.1
Rainbow over the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Artist
Date1900
oil on canvas
On view
Thomas Moran, Fort George Island, Florida, 1878, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Neil M. Judd, 1970.73
Fort George Island, Florida
Artist
Date1878
oil on canvas
On view

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Artist
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Artist
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pen and ink, conte crayon, and pencil on paper
Not on view