Appeal to the Great Spirit

Copied Paul Manship, Appeal to the Great Spirit, 1954?, bronze on marble base, 6 1⁄4 x 3 7⁄8 x 3 3⁄4 in. (15.8 x 10.0 x 9.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Paul Manship, 1966.47.66

Artwork Details

Title
Appeal to the Great Spirit
Artist
Date
1954?
Location
Dimensions
6 1⁄4 x 3 7⁄8 x 3 3⁄4 in. (15.8 x 10.0 x 9.5 cm)
Credit Line
Bequest of Paul Manship
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze on marble base
Classifications
Subjects
  • Indian
  • Figure group — male and child
  • Figure group — male and child — nude
  • Recreation — church — prayer
Object Number
1966.47.66
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1966.47.66

Artwork Description

Appeal to the Great Spirit may have been inspired by a sculpture of the same name by Cyrus Dallin, which shows a Native American man on a horse, appealing to the sky. Paul Manship used the same gesture in this sculpture, which evokes a sense of desperation and futility, as if the man and boy have nowhere left to turn.