Untitled (Woman and Child)

Selma Burke, Untitled (Woman and Child), ca. 1950, painted red oak, overall: 47 ¹⁄₈ x 12 ³⁄₄ x 11 ³⁄₄ in. (119.6 x 32.3 x 29.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John A. Sakal and Terry L. Bengel in honor of Dr. Paul Albert Chew, Founding Director of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, 2004.20

Artwork Details

Title: Untitled (Woman and Child)
Artist: Selma Burke
Date: ca. 1950
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: overall: 47 ¹⁄₈ x 12 ³⁄₄ x 11 ³⁄₄ in. (119.6 x 32.3 x 29.8 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of John A. Sakal and Terry L. Bengel in honor of Dr. Paul Albert Chew, Founding Director of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Mediums: paint
oak
Mediums Description: painted red oak
Classifications: Sculpture
Subjects: Figure group — female and child
Object Number: 2004.20
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2004.20

Artwork Description

In Selma Burke's Untitled (Woman and Child) the figures appear to materialize out of the wood, and the woman's arm and child's back merge to represent the closeness of their bond. Burke followed an African practice of selecting carving materials for their symbolic value, and chose to sculpt this scene in red oak, which embodies the strength of the figures' relationship.