Robert P. Perkins Portrait Medal

Paul Manship, Robert P. Perkins Portrait Medal, 1918, bronze, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1965.16.101
Copied Paul Manship, Robert P. Perkins Portrait Medal, 1918, bronze, 4 1⁄8 in. (10.5 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1965.16.101

Artwork Details

Title
Robert P. Perkins Portrait Medal
Artist
Date
1918
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
4 1⁄8 in. (10.5 cm) diam.
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait male — Perkins, Robert P. — bust
  • Allegory — quality — charity
  • Occupation — military
  • Figure group — female and child
Object Number
1965.16.101
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1965.16.101

Artwork Description

Robert P. Perkins (1862-1924) was president of the Bigelow-Hartford Carpet Company. Paul Manship’s medal shows Perkins as the American Red Cross commissioner in Italy during World War I. On the reverse, the Latin word caritas, or “charity,” accompanies the image of a fatherless family victimized by the war.