Untitled (Seven Headed Dragon)

David Butler, Untitled (Seven Headed Dragon), ca. 1968, paint on tin, 36 1⁄4 x 26 1⁄4 in. (92.1 x 66.7 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2014.6.2

Artwork Details

Title
Untitled (Seven Headed Dragon)
Artist
Date
ca. 1968
Location
Dimensions
36 1⁄4 x 26 1⁄4 in. (92.1 x 66.7 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
Mediums Description
paint on tin
Classifications
Subjects
  • Fantasy — dragon
Object Number
2014.6.2
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2014.6.2

Artwork Description

David Butler fashioned a garden of pounded, cut, and painted metal forms around his Louisiana house. His sculptures fuse biblical imagery with characters from his dreams. The tiered layers, attached parts, and cut-out shapes created an animated array as wind and sunlight played across his installation. Butler, with other African Americans across the South, blended Christian beliefs with folk practices to create spaces that felt self-determined and protective in a world that was often harsh and unpredictable.

Works by this artist (744 items)

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William Zorach, Floating Figure, 1922, cast plaster, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1968.154.3
Floating Figure
Artist
Date1922
cast plaster
On view
William Zorach, The Builder (study for Chase Bank), ca. 1960, cast and patinated plaster, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1971.449.29
The Builder (study for Chase Bank)
Artist
Dateca. 1960
cast and patinated plaster
On view
William Zorach, Small Head, ca. 1958-1962, carved stone, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1968.154.9
Small Head
Artist
Dateca. 1958-1962
carved stone
On view
William Zorach, Child on a Pony, 1934, cast plaster, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1971.449.19
Child on a Pony
Artist
Date1934
cast plaster
On view

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Date1976
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Artist
Date1977
lithograph
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Image Not Available
Les Quais de la Seine a Paris
Artist
Date1917
hand-colored etching on postcard
Not on view