Fish

Copied Felipe Archuleta, Fish, 1974, carved and painted tree limb and plywood, wood pulp, and adhesive, 7 1⁄2 x 26 1⁄8 x 8 1⁄4 in. (18.9 x 66.5 x 21.1 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.230

Artwork Details

Title
Fish
Artist
Date
1974
Location
Dimensions
7 1⁄2 x 26 1⁄8 x 8 1⁄4 in. (18.9 x 66.5 x 21.1 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson
Mediums
Mediums Description
carved and painted tree limb and plywood, wood pulp, and adhesive
Classifications
Keywords
  • Animal — fish
Object Number
1986.65.230
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1986.65.230

Artwork Description

Felipe Archuleta began by carving animals around his home in New Mexico such as rabbits, sheep, and burros. The more exotic animals came later and were inspired by images he saw in National Geographic magazine. (Nancy Schraffenberger, “A Natural Talent,” Guideposts, March 1987) Archuleta was both pleased and dismayed by the attention he received for his carvings. Although he enjoyed having his work praised, the growing orders for animals restricted the subject matter of his carvings and kept him working constantly. (Lynette I. Rhodes, American Folk Art From the Traditional to the Naïve, 1978)