Grizzly Bear at Bay

Edward Kemeys, Grizzly Bear at Bay, 1871-1885, painted plaster, 14 ³⁄₄ x 19 x 19 ¹⁄₈ in. (37.5 x 48.2 x 23.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1895.10.3

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Artwork Details

Title: Grizzly Bear at Bay
Artist: Edward Kemeys
Date: 1871-1885
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
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Luce Foundation Center
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3rd Floor
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19B
Dimensions: 14 ³⁄₄ x 19 x 19 ¹⁄₈ in. (37.5 x 48.2 x 23.2 cm.)
Credit Line: Gift of the artist
Mediums: plaster
Mediums Description: painted plaster
Classifications: Sculpture
Subjects: Animal — bear
Object Number: 1895.10.3
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1895.10.3

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.