Untitled (Bird)

William Edmondson, Untitled (Bird), ca. 1937, carved limestone, object: 8 ¹⁄₈ × 11 ¹⁄₈ × 3 ³⁄₄ in. (20.6 × 28.3 × 9.5 cm) base: 2 ¹⁄₄ × 6 ¹⁄₂ × 4 ⁷⁄₈ in. (5.7 × 16.5 × 12.4 cm) overall: 10 ³⁄₈ × 11 ¹⁄₈ × 4 ⁷⁄₈ in. (26.4 × 28.3 × 12.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.89

Artwork Details

Title: Untitled (Bird)
Artist: William Edmondson
Date: ca. 1937
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
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Luce Foundation Center
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3rd Floor
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26B
Dimensions: object: 8 ¹⁄₈ × 11 ¹⁄₈ × 3 ³⁄₄ in. (20.6 × 28.3 × 9.5 cm) base: 2 ¹⁄₄ × 6 ¹⁄₂ × 4 ⁷⁄₈ in. (5.7 × 16.5 × 12.4 cm) overall: 10 ³⁄₈ × 11 ¹⁄₈ × 4 ⁷⁄₈ in. (26.4 × 28.3 × 12.4 cm)
Credit Line: The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson
Mediums Description: carved limestone
Classifications: Sculpture
Subjects: Animal — bird
Object Number: 2016.38.89
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2016.38.89

Artwork Description

Edmondson’s carved sculptures often reflect his deep spirituality. Birds and birdbaths were forms he revisited frequently, signaling his affinity for the creatures who kept him company as he worked. His birds appear dovelike, metaphorically conveying the Holy Spirit or themes of peace, but also evoking feelings of mourning, for the haunting cooing sound they make.
(We Are Made of Stories: Self-Taught Artists in the Robson Family Collection, 2022)