Henry P. Wolcott

Copied Olin Levi Warner, Henry P. Wolcott, 1877, bronze, 10 1⁄2 x 5 3⁄4 x 4 7⁄8 in. (26.6 x 14.6 x 12.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Carlyle Jones, 1974.88.37
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Henry P. Wolcott
Date
1877
Dimensions
10 1⁄2 x 5 3⁄4 x 4 7⁄8 in. (26.6 x 14.6 x 12.4 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Carlyle Jones
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Subjects
  • Occupation — art
  • Portrait male — Wolcott, Henry B.
Object Number
1974.88.37

Artwork Description

In 1877, Olin Warner lived with Henry Wolcott, nicknamed “The Bird.” Wolcott exhibited a painting at the annual show of the National Academy of Design in 1879, but his artistic career was short-lived. Warner was often appalled by his roommate’s drunken antics, reporting to a friend that “The Bird” brought “objectionable friends” home late at night and would turn the “small den and studio into a place of fearful noise and orgy till sometimes the police would interfere.” Despite his disdain for his friend’s lack of discipline, Warner portrayed him in painter’s garb holding a palette.