Marshall M. Fredericks, Bedi-Makky Art Foundry Corp., Torso of a Dancer, 1938, polished bronze on stone base, 32 1⁄2 x 20 1⁄4 x 9 in. (82.6 x 51.5 x 22.9 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Marshall M. and Rosalind C. Fredericks, 1996.60, © 1978, Marshall M. Fredericks
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Torso of a Dancer
- Artists
- Bedi-Makky Art Foundry Corp.
- Date
- 1938
- Location
- Dimensions
- 32 1⁄2 x 20 1⁄4 x 9 in. (82.6 x 51.5 x 22.9 cm.)
- Copyright
- © 1978, Marshall M. Fredericks
- Credit Line
- Gift of Marshall M. and Rosalind C. Fredericks
- Mediums Description
- polished bronze on stone base
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Performing arts — dance
- Figure female — torso
- Object Number
- 1996.60
Artwork Description
Marshall Fredericks originally made Torso of a Dancer in black marble and later cast it in this polished bronze. The small scale is unusual for Fredericks, who was known for large works, often of multiple figures, in civic spaces. This torso, even without limbs or a head, suggests a body and a spirit striving toward heaven, an effect that Fredericks used in nearly all of his monumental works. The highly polished patina of the bronze reflects colors, lights, and shadows around the sculpture, further animating the space it inhabits.