Group Showing the Present Condition of the Country

Copied Emily Clayton Bishop, Group Showing the Present Condition of the Country, ca. 1907-1910, limestone/carved, 12 3⁄8 x 7 5⁄8 x 5 3⁄4 in. (31.3 x 19.3 x 14.5 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Miss Beatrice Fenton and Miss Marjorie D. Martinet, 1976.127.10
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Group Showing the Present Condition of the Country
Artist
Date
ca. 1907-1910
Location
Dimensions
12 3⁄8 x 7 5⁄8 x 5 3⁄4 in. (31.3 x 19.3 x 14.5 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Miss Beatrice Fenton and Miss Marjorie D. Martinet
Mediums
Mediums Description
limestone/carved
Classifications
Subjects
  • Allegory — other — civilization
  • Figure group
  • Occupation — sport — wrestling
Object Number
1976.127.10
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1976.127.10

Artwork Description

In Emily Clayton Bishop’s Group Showing the Present Condition of the Country, the roughly carved figures appear to be wrestling. The larger figure stands over a smaller one on its hands and knees, possibly representing internal conflict or oppression. At the turn of the twentieth century, many Americans were concerned about the unbalanced relationship between poor laborers and the upper class. These inequalities gave rise to socialist and anarchist movements, and it is possible that Bishop’s sculpture reflects her sympathy for the working class.