Woman Eating

Duane Hanson is known for superrealistic sculptures that often cause viewers to pause with uncertainty about whether they are looking at a sculpture or a person. Cast in fiberglass and resin from live models, then painted and clothed, Hanson's life-size figures are presented as ordinary individuals engaged in everyday activities. The Museum has replaced the original National Enquirer on the table with a contemporary tabloid, both to spare the original from overexposure to light and to heighten the surprise for visitors that the seated woman is not alive.

Duane Hanson was known for his ultrarealistic sculptures that often cause viewers to pause with uncertainty as to whether they are seeing a sculpture or a person. Cast in fiberglass and resin from live models, then painted and clothed, Hanson's life-size figures are presented as ordinary individuals engaged in mundane activities. The museum has replaced the original National Enquirer on the table with a contemporary tabloid, both to spare the original from overexposure to light and to heighten the surprise for visitors that the seated woman is not alive.

Smithsonian American Art Museum: Commemorative Guide. Nashville, TN: Beckon Books, 2015.