Dr. William Henry Holmes

Copied Moses Wainer Dykaar, Dr. William Henry Holmes, 1925, marble, 28 1⁄2 x 20 x 12 in. (72.4 x 50.8 x 30.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1926.5.6
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Dr. William Henry Holmes
Artist
Date
1925
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
28 1⁄2 x 20 x 12 in. (72.4 x 50.8 x 30.5 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Mediums
Mediums Description
marble
Classifications
Keywords
  • Figure male — elderly
  • Occupation — medicine — doctor
  • Portrait male — Holmes, William Henry — bust
Object Number
1926.5.6
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1926.5.6

Artwork Description

Dr William H. Holmes worked for the Smithsonian for more than fifty years, as an artist, geologist, anthropologist, and curator. His career began when he visited the Smithsonian and sketched a brightly colored bird that was on display. The scientist Professor Henry W. Elliott noticed his talent and employed him as a draftsman. Holmes traveled on numerous exhibitions, which included documenting the topography of the western territories and exploring ancient ruins in Yucatan and Central America. In 1920 he became director of the Smithsonian’s National Gallery of Art, now the Smithsonian American Art Museum.