Felipe Archuleta, Squirrel, 1974, house paint on cottonwood with rubber and grass, overall: 10 1⁄2 x 14 x 4 1⁄2 in. (26.7 x 35.6 x 11.4 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 1997.124.46A-B
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Squirrel
- Artist
- Date
- 1974
- Location
- Dimensions
- overall: 10 1⁄2 x 14 x 4 1⁄2 in. (26.7 x 35.6 x 11.4 cm.)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- house paint on cottonwood with rubber and grass
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Animal — squirrel
- Object — fruit — apple
- Object Number
- 1997.124.46A-B
Artwork Description
Felipe Archuleta began by carving animals around his home in New Mexico such as rabbits, sheep, and burros. The more exotic animals came later and were inspired by images he saw in National Geographic magazine. (Nancy Schraffenberger, “A Natural Talent,” Guideposts, March 1987) Archuleta was both pleased and dismayed by the attention he received for his carvings. Although he enjoyed having his work praised, the growing orders for animals restricted the subject matter of his carvings and kept him working constantly. (Lynette I. Rhodes, American Folk Art From the Traditional to the Naïve, 1978)