Boy with Broken Tambourine

Copied Thomas Crawford, Boy with Broken Tambourine, 1854, marble, 42 3⁄4 x 15 5⁄8 x 15 1⁄8 in. (108.6 x 39.7 x 38.4 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1990.27
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Boy with Broken Tambourine
Artist
Date
1854
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
42 3⁄4 x 15 5⁄8 x 15 1⁄8 in. (108.6 x 39.7 x 38.4 cm.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
marble
Classifications
Subjects
  • State of being — emotion — sorrow
  • Figure male — child — full length
  • Object — musical instrument — tambourine
Object Number
1990.27
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1990.27

Artwork Description

Thomas Crawford was best known for his large public statues, but he also created many smaller sculptures of children. During the Victorian era, the infant mortality rate was high and families often commissioned artists to create idealized portraits of their children as keepsakes. The child in this sculpture looks forlorn as he gazes down at his broken tambourine. The baton in his other hand suggests he was responsible for the damage and is now regretting his boisterous behavior.