Bear

Edward Kemeys, Bear, before 1907, bronze, 11 ¹⁄₄ x 12 ¹⁄₄ x 7 ⁵⁄₈ in. (28.5 x 31.1 x 19.4 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of J. Willis Johnson, 1984.141.1

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Artwork Details

Title: Bear
Artist: Edward Kemeys
Date: before 1907
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 11 ¹⁄₄ x 12 ¹⁄₄ x 7 ⁵⁄₈ in. (28.5 x 31.1 x 19.4 cm.)
Credit Line: Gift of J. Willis Johnson
Mediums: bronze
Mediums Description: bronze
Classifications: Sculpture
Subjects: Animal — bear
Object Number: 1984.141.1
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1984.141.1

Artwork Description

Edward Kemeys modeled many sculptures of the black and grizzly bears that he saw on his travels in the American West. He portrayed each animal’s formidable power while also capturing a lighter, more playful side to its character. In this way, Kemeys created a fiction in which wild animals were transformed into approachable, friendly creatures.