Object Details
- Artist
- Eugenie Gershoy, born Krivoi Rog, Russia 1901-died 1986
- Luce Center Label
- During the late 1930s, Eugenie Gershoy began working for the Works Progress Administration in New York. A friend of hers, the artist Max Spivak, was designing a series of murals for a children’s library in Astoria, Long Island. Gershoy decided to create colorful figurines to go along with Spivak’s paintings. These sculptures depicted circus characters posed in a variety of impossible feats, including the figures in Ill-Fated Toreador, who dangles precariously from a bull’s horn, and The Very Strong Man, who lifts an elephant above his head while balancing on one toe. The library was so pleased with the work of Gershoy and Spivak, they rebuilt the space into an oval to emphasize the circus setting.
- Luce Object Quote
- “I began to explore the use of color . . . to intensify gesture and expression, to accentuate movement, heighten dramatic effects, [and] enhance the imagery.” Artist’s statement
- Credit Line
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Erwin P. Vollmer
- 1936-1940
- Object number
- 1985.6
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- Sculpture
- Medium
- polychromed dextrine
- Dimensions
- 23 x 13 7/8 x 9 5/8 in. (58.4 x 35.2 x 24.5 cm.)
- See more items in
- Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
- Department
- Painting and Sculpture
- On View
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 4th Floor, 47B
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 4th Floor
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Topic
- Figure male
- Fantasy
- Animal\elephant
- Performing arts\circus\strong man
- Record ID
- saam_1985.6
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk7a83dc827-7494-4d43-80f3-19f74eb741a1
