Dancing Child (Charleston III)

Paul Manship, Dancing Child (Charleston III), 1927, bronze, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Paul Manship, 1966.47.29
Copied Paul Manship, Dancing Child (Charleston III), 1927, bronze, 12 1⁄2 x 5 1⁄4 x 3 in. (31.9 x 13.2 x 7.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Paul Manship, 1966.47.29

Artwork Details

Title
Dancing Child (Charleston III)
Artist
Date
1927
Location
Dimensions
12 1⁄2 x 5 1⁄4 x 3 in. (31.9 x 13.2 x 7.5 cm)
Credit Line
Bequest of Paul Manship
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Subjects
  • Recreation — dancing
  • Figure male — child — nude
  • Figure male — child — full length
  • Performing arts — dance — Charleston
Object Number
1966.47.29
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1966.47.29

Artwork Description

Paul Manship’s series Dancing Children shows chubby infants in characteristic poses from the Charleston, an American dance popular in the 1920s. He was inspired by the story of Krishna, an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, who killed a snake-demon and danced on the creature’s head in victory. Manship took this image of a dancing child and adapted it to show the American dance.