John Rogers, "Ha! I Like Not That", patented 1882, painted plaster, 22 x 20 3⁄4 x 14 3⁄8 in. (55.8 x 52.6 x 36.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Rogers and Son, 1882.1.4
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Artwork Details
- Title
- “Ha! I Like Not That”
- Artist
- Date
- patented 1882
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 22 x 20 3⁄4 x 14 3⁄8 in. (55.8 x 52.6 x 36.5 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of John Rogers and Son
- Mediums Description
- painted plaster
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Literature — Shakespeare — Othello
- Performing arts — theater
- Figure group
- Object Number
- 1882.1.4
Artwork Description
For this statuette illustrating a scene from Shakespeare's Othello, John Rogers conveys the play's setting--Renaissance Venice--through swords, ceramics, feathers, brocades, leather, and lace. These bring to life a pivotal scene in which the vile Iago, on the far left, plants the seeds of murderous jealousy in Othello, whose wife, Desdemona, appears to receive inappropriate attentions from a rival. A luxurious collar accentuates Desdemona's beauty, while a dagger hints at Iago's treachery. Through such historical detail, this parlor statue fueled Americans' popular conception of Venice as a place of adventure, romance, and above all, sensual excess.
Sargent, Whistler, and Venetian Glass: American Artists and the Magic of Murano, 2021.
