Guinea Hen

Copied Bessie Stough Callender, Guinea Hen, ca. 1929, limestone, 17 x 8 7⁄8 x 11 1⁄4 in. (43.2 x 22.5 x 28.5 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Harold Callender, 1960.8.4

Artwork Details

Title
Guinea Hen
Artist
Date
ca. 1929
Location
Dimensions
17 x 8 7⁄8 x 11 1⁄4 in. (43.2 x 22.5 x 28.5 cm.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Harold Callender
Mediums
Mediums Description
limestone
Classifications
Subjects
  • Animal — bird — guinea fowl
Object Number
1960.8.4
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1960.8.4

Artwork Description

Bessie Stough Callender found herself with time on her hands while living in Paris, where her husband, Harold, was chief correspondent for the New York Times. She decided to start sculpting animals and in 1929 completed her first stone sculpture, Guinea Hen, which she carved "chiefly for practice in rounded forms." This particular guinea hen posed patiently for many weeks until she was eaten by the French bulldog that guarded the studio at night. (Harold Callender, Fun Tomorrow: The Story of an Artist and a Way of Life, 1953)