Elegance

Heinz Warneke, Elegance, ca. 1927, marble, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Julia Bretzman, 1972.171
Heinz Warneke, Elegance, ca. 1927, marble, 178 147 78 in. (43.121.019.9 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Julia Bretzman, 1972.171

Artwork Details

Title
Elegance
Date
ca. 1927
Dimensions
178 147 78 in. (43.121.019.9 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Julia Bretzman
Mediums
Mediums Description
marble
Classifications
Subjects
  • Animal — cat
Object Number
1972.171

Artwork Description

In Elegance, Heinz Warneke captures the proud nature of the domestic cat. The highly polished surface of the sculpture accentuates the solid yet graceful posture of the alert feline. The simple, abstract rendering is characteristic of the artist's direct carving technique, an attribute of much of his work produced in Paris between 1927 and 1932. The regal and stylized quality reflects Warneke's interest in ancient Egyptian sculpture, of which he commented, "It satisfies my desire for a brief strong statement—yet free from any coarseness of treatment. Each line and form is sensitively felt without the slightest loss of definiteness" (Heinz Warneke, quoted in Parnassus, February 1941).

Works by this artist (5 items)

Philip Kappel, Lobsterman at Dawn, n.d., aquatint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chicago Society of Etchers, 1935.13.170
Lobsterman at Dawn
Daten.d.
aquatint on paper
Not on view
Philip Kappel, Crossed Trails, n.d., drypoint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chicago Society of Etchers, 1935.13.596
Crossed Trails
Daten.d.
drypoint on paper
Not on view
Philip Kappel, Repairs, n.d., drypoint, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chicago Society of Etchers, 1935.13.171
Repairs
Daten.d.
drypoint
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

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Date1941-1952
linocut
Not on view
Claire Falkenstein, Untitled, 1976, embossed paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.18, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
Untitled
Date1976
embossed paper
Not on view
Claire Falkenstein, Mandala, 1977, lithograph, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.19, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
Mandala
Date1977
lithograph
Not on view
Les Quais de la Seine a Paris
Date1917
hand-colored etching on postcard
Not on view