Luce Foundation Center

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Open daily, 11:30 a.m.–7 p.m.

The nation’s first collection of American art, an unparalleled record of the American experience.

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Renwick Gallery Stairwwell

Renwick Gallery

Open daily, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Located just feet from the White House, a branch of the museum that is home the nation's collection of contemporary craft and decorative art.

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How Do I Research My Art?

Want to learn more about the painting you found while clearing out the attic? For answers, be prepared for a little detective work.

How to Care for Your Collections

Regardless of the monetary value of your artwork, if it is personally meaningful, you should consider having the object conserved.

Recording a Changing Nation

This resource uses images from photographic surveys in 55 communities in 30 states across the United States as source documents to spark sustained inquiry.

Critical Thinking in Action

These 60-to-95-minute units pair thinking patterns with works of art to instill a thinking disposition transferable across classroom curriculum and into the wider world.

Event Venues and Space Rental

Museum Store Online

A detail of stained glass with a figure, in a fetal position, at the middle

Contemporary Craft in Focus: The Birth of Eve

Artist Judith Schaechter uses the labor-intensive medium of stained glass to capture a singular moment in time

Detail of brown ceramic jar with writing and the signature "Dave" inscribed around the top.

David “Dave” Drake: Potter and Poet

Craftsman David “Dave” Drake, enslaved for most of his life, produced uncommonly large ceramic jars in 19th-century South Carolina adorned by his poetic verses

Director’s Circle

A national membership group of museum friends who share a love of American art and craft and our commitment to celebrating the extraordinary creativity of our nation’s artists.

A membership group for young professionals who are interested in immersing themselves in the American art experience.

Woman’s Head

Media - 1978.38.4 - SAAM-1978.38.4_1 - 57587

Media - 1978.38.4 - SAAM-1978.38.4_2 - 57588

Copied Moissaye Marans, Woman's Head, n.d., limestone, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Moissaye Marans, 1978.38.4

Artwork Details

Title: Woman’s Head
Artist: Moissaye Marans
Date: n.d.
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
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Luce Foundation Center
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4th Floor
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48A
Dimensions: 17 ¹⁄₄ x 13 ¹⁄₂ x 9 ¹⁄₄ in. (43.9 x 34.2 x 23.4 cm.)
Credit Line: Bequest of Moissaye Marans
Mediums: limestone
Mediums Description: limestone
Classifications: Sculpture
Keywords: Figure female — head
Object Number: 1978.38.4
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1978.38.4

Artwork Description

Moissaye Marans began carving at a young age and throughout his career created sculptures from exotic woods, marble, and limestone. He was inspired by religious themes, and many of his pieces illustrate the ideals of peace and harmony. The huddled figure in Woman’s Head could symbolize birth or creation, suggesting innocence and freedom from conflict.

Luce Object Quote

“. . . I believe that all creative work must be spiritual.” Moissaye Marans, New York Times, 1975