Elegance

Heinz Warneke, Elegance, ca. 1927, marble, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Julia Bretzman, 1972.171
Heinz Warneke, Elegance, ca. 1927, marble, 178 147 78 in. (43.121.019.9 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Julia Bretzman, 1972.171

Artwork Details

Title
Elegance
Date
ca. 1927
Dimensions
178 147 78 in. (43.121.019.9 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Julia Bretzman
Mediums
Mediums Description
marble
Classifications
Subjects
  • Animal — cat
Object Number
1972.171

Artwork Description

In Elegance, Heinz Warneke captures the proud nature of the domestic cat. The highly polished surface of the sculpture accentuates the solid yet graceful posture of the alert feline. The simple, abstract rendering is characteristic of the artist's direct carving technique, an attribute of much of his work produced in Paris between 1927 and 1932. The regal and stylized quality reflects Warneke's interest in ancient Egyptian sculpture, of which he commented, "It satisfies my desire for a brief strong statement—yet free from any coarseness of treatment. Each line and form is sensitively felt without the slightest loss of definiteness" (Heinz Warneke, quoted in Parnassus, February 1941).

Works by this artist (3 items)

Chet La More, Ku Kluxers, 1939, color lithograph, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from D.C. Public Library

, 1967.72.149
Ku Kluxers
Date1939
color lithograph
Not on view
Chet La More, Old Dock, n.d., color lithograph, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from D.C. Public Library, 1967.72.148
Old Dock
Daten.d.
color lithograph
Not on view
Chet La More, Construction, ca. 1935-1939, color woodcut on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Audrey McMahon, 1968.98.32
Construction
Dateca. 1935-1939
color woodcut on paper
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Henry Moore, Britain, from the United Nations Series, 1944, ink, watercolor, pencil, crayon, and gouache on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Container Corporation of America, 1984.124.219
Britain, from the United Nations Series
Date1944
ink, watercolor, pencil, crayon, and gouache on paper
Not on view
Henry Speller, Train, ca. 1980, crayon and pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.198
Train
Dateca. 1980
crayon and pencil on paper
Not on view
Inez Nathaniel-Walker, Woman with Bowl of Flowers, 1974, felt-tipped pen and ink, ballpoint pen and ink, crayon, and pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.190
Woman with Bowl of Flowers
Date1974
felt-tipped pen and ink, ballpoint pen and ink, crayon, and pencil on paper
Not on view
Messenger Boy
Artist
Dateca. 1933-1943
charcoal, crayon and pencil on paper
Not on view