Requiem

J. Fred Woell, Requiem, 1968, silver, bronze, glass, photo, wood, and putty, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Rose Mary Wadman, 1991.57.2
J. Fred Woell, Requiem, 1968, silver, bronze, glass, photo, wood, and putty, 4 3⁄4 x 4 5⁄8 x 3⁄4 in. (12.1 X 11.8 X 2.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Rose Mary Wadman, 1991.57.2

Artwork Details

Title
Requiem
Artist
Date
1968
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
4 3⁄4 x 4 5⁄8 x 3⁄4 in. (12.1 X 11.8 X 2.0 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Rose Mary Wadman
Mediums
Mediums Description
silver, bronze, glass, photo, wood, and putty
Classifications
Subjects
  • State of being — death — execution
  • Portrait male — Kennedy, Robert F.
  • Homage — Kennedy, John F.
Object Number
1991.57.2
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1991.57.2

Artwork Description

Fred Woell created Requiem after Robert Kennedy's assassination in 1968. The contorted features of the photographic portrait express both Kennedy's pain and the trauma endured by the nation. Stamped around the edge of the pin is the phrase "Jesus Saves," a reference to the Kennedy family's Catholic faith. The stars signify his final resting-place and remind us that his brother President John F. Kennedy was assassinated five years earlier in Texas, the Lone Star State.

Works by this artist (12 items)

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Henry Wolf, John Trumbull, Alexander Hamilton, 1898, wood engraving on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 1973.130.159
Alexander Hamilton
Artist
Date1898
wood engraving on paper
Not on view
Image Not Available
The Sortie Made by the Garrison of Gibraltar in the Morning…
Artist
Date1799
engraving
Not on view
John Trumbull, Mr. Tredwell, 19th century, watercolor on ivory, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer, 1999.27.50.1
Mr. Tredwell
Artist
Attributed to John Trumbull
Date19th century
watercolor on ivory
Not on view
Henry Brintnell Bounetheau, John Trumbull, General George Washington, ca. 1845, watercolor on ivory, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Henry Du Pré Bounetheau, 1946.3.19
General George Washington
Artist
Dateca. 1845
watercolor on ivory
Not on view

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Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled, ca. 1945-1950, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Lewis and Jean Greenblatt, 2002.86.7
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Jared French, Margaret French, PaJaMa, Paul Cadmus, PaJaMa (Box A), ca. 1937, gelatin silver prints, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Margaret French, 1999.98.5.16
PaJaMa (Box A)
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Dateca. 1937
gelatin silver prints
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