Carnegie Corporation Medal

Copied Paul Manship, Carnegie Corporation Medal, 1934, bronze, 4 in. (10.2 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Paul Manship, 1966.47.115

Artwork Details

Title
Carnegie Corporation Medal
Artist
Date
1934
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
4 in. (10.2 cm) diam.
Credit Line
Bequest of Paul Manship
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Keywords
  • Mythology — classical — Pegasus
  • Mythology — classical — Bellerophon
Object Number
1966.47.115
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1966.47.115

Artwork Description

American industrialist Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) grew immensely wealthy from his Pennsylvania steel factories, which he established in the 1870s. He once wrote that “a man who dies rich dies disgraced” and used his fortune to fund a number of projects for the public good, including the famous Carnegie libraries that were built in cities across the United States. Research has not revealed the purpose of Paul Manship’s medal, but the classical figure and mythical winged horse seen on the obverse were popular motifs in American art of the 1930s and symbolized hope and heroic effort in the face of difficulties.