Appeal to the Great Spirit

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
  • Recreation — church — prayer
  • Figure group — male and child — nude
  • Figure group — male and child
  • Indian
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.

Works by this artist (1 item)

Charles Eames, Ray Eames, Leg Splint, 1942, plywood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Harish K. Patel in memory of his father Khodabhai C. Patel, 2001.19
Leg Splint
Artist
Date1942
plywood
Not on view

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