Requiem

J. Fred Woell, Requiem, 1968, silver, bronze, glass, photo, wood, and putty, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Rose Mary Wadman, 1991.57.2
J. Fred Woell, Requiem, 1968, silver, bronze, glass, photo, wood, and putty, 4 3⁄4 x 4 5⁄8 x 3⁄4 in. (12.1 X 11.8 X 2.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Rose Mary Wadman, 1991.57.2

Artwork Details

Title
Requiem
Artist
Date
1968
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
4 3⁄4 x 4 5⁄8 x 3⁄4 in. (12.1 X 11.8 X 2.0 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Rose Mary Wadman
Mediums
Mediums Description
silver, bronze, glass, photo, wood, and putty
Classifications
Subjects
  • State of being — death — execution
  • Portrait male — Kennedy, Robert F.
  • Homage — Kennedy, John F.
Object Number
1991.57.2
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1991.57.2

Artwork Description

Fred Woell created Requiem after Robert Kennedy's assassination in 1968. The contorted features of the photographic portrait express both Kennedy's pain and the trauma endured by the nation. Stamped around the edge of the pin is the phrase "Jesus Saves," a reference to the Kennedy family's Catholic faith. The stars signify his final resting-place and remind us that his brother President John F. Kennedy was assassinated five years earlier in Texas, the Lone Star State.

Works by this artist (6 items)

View all artworks
J. Fred Woell, The American Scene, 1988, silver and Civil War bullet shell fragment of copper-clad steel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Eleanor T. and Samuel J. Rosenfeld, 1991.114, © 1989, J. Fred Woell
The American Scene
Artist
Date1988
silver and Civil War bullet shell fragment of copper-clad steel
Not on view
J. Fred Woell, Come Alive, You're in the Pepsi Generation, 1966, sterling silver, copper, brass, steel, glass and found objects, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Kathleen Kriegman, 2006.34.1
Come Alive, You’re in the Pepsi Generation
Artist
Date1966
sterling silver, copper, brass, steel, glass and found objects
Not on view
J. Fred Woell, First Class Fare, 1975, sterling silver, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Rose Mary Wadman in memory of Alton J. Wadman, 2006.25
First Class Fare
Artist
Date1975
sterling silver
Not on view
J. Fred Woell, Democracy Speaks, 2003, wood, brass, paper, nickel, and bullet shells, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of J. Fred Woell, 2017.29
Democracy Speaks
Artist
Date2003
wood, brass, paper, nickel, and bullet shells
Not on view