Chaim Gross, Happy Children, 1973, bronze, 66 x 49 1⁄4 x 40 in. (167.5 x 125.1 x 101.6 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Chaim Gross in honor of Dr. Joshua C. Taylor, 1982.105
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Happy Children
- Artist
- Founder
- Bedi-Makky Art Foundry Corp.
- Date
- 1973
- Location
- Dimensions
- 66 x 49 1⁄4 x 40 in. (167.5 x 125.1 x 101.6 cm.)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Chaim Gross in honor of Dr. Joshua C. Taylor
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- bronze
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Recreation — dancing
- Children
- Object Number
- 1982.105
Artwork Description
Chaim Gross grew up in a large and loving Jewish family with ten brothers and sisters. When he was very young, Gross saw his parents nearly beaten to death for their religious beliefs by Cossack soldiers. As an adult, he compensated for this trauma by sculpting large families, as in Happy Children, which shows two small children emulating the adults who dance with them. The larger figures and the ring of bronze symbolically protect the children, as Gross's parents had been unable to do.