Venus

Ernest "Popeye" Reed, Venus, 1980, carved sandstone, 17 1⁄4 × 6 1⁄8 × 5 1⁄4 in. (43.8 × 15.6 × 13.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.63

Artwork Details

Title
Venus
Artist
Date
1980
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
17 1⁄4 × 6 1⁄8 × 5 1⁄4 in. (43.8 × 15.6 × 13.3 cm)
Credit Line
The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson
Mediums Description
carved sandstone
Classifications
Subjects
  • Mythology — classical — Venus
Object Number
2016.38.63
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2016.38.63

Artwork Description

Reed grew up in the Appalachian hill country of southeastern Ohio, earning the nickname “Popeye” for the strong arms he built working with wood and stone. He carved native hardwoods like walnut, and stone including flint, limestone, and sandstone, and over time made thousands of artworks. He was best known for figural works, particularly characters from legend or myth, such as this rendering of Venus, the Roman goddess of beauty, fertility, and prosperity. Reed earned a loyal local and regional following, but wider recognition of his carvings did not come during his lifetime.
(We Are Made of Stories: Self-Taught Artists in the Robson Family Collection, 2022)

Works by this artist (1 item)

Jean MacLane, Elizabeth, Queen of the Belgians, 1921, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the National Art Committee, 1923.6.16
Elizabeth, Queen of the Belgians
Artist
Date1921
oil on canvas
Not on view