Untitled (Defenders)

Frederic Jean Thalinger, Untitled (Defenders), ca. 1940, terra cotta, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Ciel Frampton Thalinger and Ernest J. Thalinger, 1990.2
Copied Frederic Jean Thalinger, Untitled (Defenders), ca. 1940, terra cotta, 11 3⁄4 x 21 x 7 5⁄8 in. (29.9 x 53.3 x 19.4 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Ciel Frampton Thalinger and Ernest J. Thalinger, 1990.2

Artwork Details

Title
Untitled (Defenders)
Artist
Date
ca. 1940
Location
Dimensions
11 3⁄4 x 21 x 7 5⁄8 in. (29.9 x 53.3 x 19.4 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Ciel Frampton Thalinger and Ernest J. Thalinger
Mediums
Mediums Description
terra cotta
Classifications
Keywords
  • Figure group — male
Object Number
1990.2
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1990.2

Artwork Description

Frederic Jean Thalinger carved this piece around 1940, at the outbreak of World War II. The title clearly refers to the war, but this work is also thought to refer to the great labor strikes of the Depression years. The sculpture shows five huge male figures, whose determined expressions and immovable stances offer a convincing expression of worker solidarity.