Flower of Death – The Bursting of a Heavy Shell – Not as It Looks, but as It Feels and Sounds and Smells

Claggett Wilson, Flower of Death--The Bursting of a Heavy Shell--Not as It Looks, but as It Feels and Sounds and Smells, ca. 1919, watercolor and pencil on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Alice H. Rossin, 1981.163.18
Claggett Wilson, Flower of Death--The Bursting of a Heavy Shell--Not as It Looks, but as It Feels and Sounds and Smells, ca. 1919, watercolor and pencil on paperboard, image: 16 1⁄2 x 22 in. (41.9 x 55.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Alice H. Rossin, 1981.163.18

Artwork Details

Title
Flower of Death – The Bursting of a Heavy Shell – Not as It Looks, but as It Feels and Sounds and Smells
Artist
Date
ca. 1919
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
image: 16 1⁄2 x 22 in. (41.9 x 55.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Alice H. Rossin
Mediums
Mediums Description
watercolor and pencil on paperboard
Classifications
Subjects
  • Architecture Exterior — military — battlefield
  • Disaster — accident — explosion
  • History — United States — World War I
  • Allegory — death
  • Figure group — male
  • Occupation — military — soldier
Object Number
1981.163.18
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1981.163.18

Works by this artist (1036 items)

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William H. Johnson, Breakdown with Flat Tire, ca. 1940-1941, oil on plywood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.587
Breakdown with Flat Tire
Artist
Dateca. 1940-1941
oil on plywood
On view
William H. Johnson, Chain Gang, ca. 1939, oil on plywood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.675
Chain Gang
Artist
Dateca. 1939
oil on plywood
On view
William H. Johnson, Midnight Sun, Lofoten, 1937, oil on burlap, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.907
Midnight Sun, Lofoten
Artist
Date1937
oil on burlap
On view
William H. Johnson, Lamentation, ca. 1944, oil on fiberboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.981
Lamentation
Artist
Dateca. 1944
oil on fiberboard
On view

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      On Wednesday, November 9, 2022, the Smithsonian American Art Museum presented a virtual edition of “Double Take,” exploring art, service, and sacrifice in honor of Veterans Day. Join Smithsonian experts as they examine artist Claggett Wilson’s watercolor paintings depicting his experiences as a combat Marine in World War I. Learn how American art has been an integral component of commemorating military service with Catherine Maynor, paper conservator at Smithsonian American Art Museum, and Ben Brands, historian at American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). SAAM’s “Double Take” series brings Smithsonian specialists—from anthropologists and geologists to aeronautical engineers and historians—together to discuss artworks from SAAM’s collection. This special edition of “Double Take” highlights SAAM’s partnership with the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC).

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