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Ram

A work made of granite.

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  • A work made of granite.

Date:

c. 1930

Artist:

John B. Flannagan
American, 1895–1942

About this artwork

The modernist sculptor John Flannagan was acclaimed for his mastery of the technique of direct carving, in which he developed his creative ideas without the use of preliminary models or the aid of assistants, both of which were common practices among academic sculptors. He carved Ram while in Ireland in 1930, where he was drawn to the animals that populated the bucolic countryside. By this time, Flannagan had embraced pantheism, the belief that all things, including nature, are part of an all-encompassing divinity. As a result, he chose to sculpt animals because he believed they represented an unspoiled, natural state of existence, and he worked the stone as little as possible to maintain this purity. Flannagan’s animal sculptures from his Irish period were warmly received by critics upon his return to New York, lauded for their “simple and homespun and elemental” style.

Status

On View, Gallery 264

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

John Bernard Flannagan

Title

Ram

Place

United States (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.

c. 1930

Medium

Granite

Dimensions

36.8 × 19.1 × 31.1 cm (14 1/2 × 7 1/2 × 12 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Through prior acquisition of the George F. Harding Collection

Reference Number

2012.127

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.

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