Object Details
Artist
Paul Wayland Bartlett, born New Haven, CT 1865-died Paris, France 1925
Sitter
Walt Whitman
Luce Center Label
Sculptors often create medals to honor famous individuals, and here we see an image of the poet Walt Whitman (1819-1892), who wrote the classic Leaves of Grass in 1855. Whitman’s work was a landmark in American literature that celebrated the poetry of everyday life in a young and democratic nation. Paul Wayland Bartlett’s irregularly shaped medal is likely a study for a more finished work.
Credit Line
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Armistead Peter III
Date
modeled ca. 1887-1889
Object number
1958.11.24
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Type
Sculpture-Relief
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
9 5/8 in. (24.4 cm) diam.
See more items in
Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
Department
Painting and Sculpture
Data Source
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Topic
Dress\accessory\hat
Portrait male\bust
Occupation\writer\poet
Link to Original Record
Record ID
saam_1958.11.24