Rip Van Winkle

Copied Frederick MacMonnies, Rip Van Winkle, 1876-1880, fired terra cotta on wood base with glass dome, 7 3⁄4 x 7 3⁄4 x 6 in. (19.7 x 19.7 x 15.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Miss Marion E. Pelzer, 1980.51.1
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Rip Van Winkle
Artist
Date
1876-1880
Location
Dimensions
7 3⁄4 x 7 3⁄4 x 6 in. (19.7 x 19.7 x 15.3 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Miss Marion E. Pelzer
Mediums
Mediums Description
fired terra cotta on wood base with glass dome
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure male — elderly — full length
  • Dutch
  • Literature — Irving — Rip Van Winkle
Object Number
1980.51.1
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1980.51.1

Artwork Description

Washington Irving’s short story “Rip Van Winkle” first appeared in The Sketch Book of 1819 and was performed onstage in 1865 by the actor Joseph Jefferson, who played the title role to critical acclaim. In the tale, Rip Van Winkle ventures out into the mountains and runs across some strangers who befriend him and ply him with liquor. He falls asleep and awakens to find that he has slept for twenty years and is an old graybeard. Frederick MacMonnies’ inspiration for the subject may have come from his visit to an art studio as a child, where he saw the sculptor John Rogers making statues of Rip Van Winkle.

Audio