Skip to Content
Closed now, next open tomorrow. Closed now, next open tomorrow.

  • Mon 11–5
  • Tue–Wed Closed
  • Thu 11–8
  • Fri–Sun 11–5
  • The first hour of every day, 10–11 a.m., is reserved for member-only viewing.

Le Grenouillard (Frog-Man)

A work made of patinated plaster.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A work made of patinated plaster.

Date:

1892

Artist:

Jean-Joseph Carriès (French, 1855–1894)

About this artwork

During his short but brilliant career, Jean-Joseph Carriès explored alternative sculptural media such as ceramics and plaster, which were considered vastly inferior to marble and bronze. Half man, half amphibian, this squat figure shares the bulging eyes and elongated spine of the frogs that surround him. For this unusual work, Carriès drew inspiration from two disparate sources: The merging of human and animal features nods to Darwin’s theory of evolution, first published in the mid-1800s. The sculpture’s patinated plaster finish and humorous subject matter, on the other hand, recall Japanese netsuke, small, lacquered carvings celebrated for their wit and whimsy.

Status

On View, Gallery 245

Department

Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Artist

Jean-Joseph Carriès

Title

Le Grenouillard (Frog-Man)

Place

France (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1892

Medium

Patinated plaster

Dimensions

34 × 47 × 43 cm (13 1/2 × 18 1/2 × 17 in.)

Credit Line

Through prior gift of Mrs. Henry Woods

Reference Number

2007.78

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/190409/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.
Learn more

Image actions

Share

Suggested Terms