Ram

Bessie Stough Callender, Ram, ca. 1930, granite, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Harold Callender, 1960.8.3

Bessie Stough Callender, Ram, ca. 1930, granite, 17 ³⁄₄ x 9 x 18 in. (45.1 x 23.0 x 45.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Harold Callender, 1960.8.3

Artwork Details

Title: Ram
Artist: Bessie Stough Callender
Date: ca. 1930
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
/
Luce Foundation Center
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3rd Floor
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W330
Dimensions: 17 ³⁄₄ x 9 x 18 in. (45.1 x 23.0 x 45.6 cm)
Credit Line: Bequest of Harold Callender
Mediums: granite
Mediums Description: granite
Classifications: Sculpture
Subjects: Animal — sheep
Object Number: 1960.8.3
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1960.8.3

Artwork Description

Bessie Stough Callender was inspired to sculpt Ram after visiting a "copious" exhibit of Persian art in London. She was so entranced by the sculptures and reliefs that she started researching and copying ancient depictions of animals. The compact form, stylized head, and large horns of Ram resemble the ancient Persian and Mesopotamian monuments that Callender saw during her studies and frequent visits to the Louvre Museum, in Paris. (Harold Callender, Fun Tomorrow: The Story of an Artist and a Way of Life, 1953)