James Earle Fraser(1876 - 1953)
White Eagle, modeled 1919, cast 1967bronze
Inscribed at base: J. E. FRASER #8 © S. U.; Modern Art Fdry N.Y.
*The original plasters for these sculptures were bequeathed to Syracuse University by the estate of Laura Gardin Fraser, the widow of James Earle Fraser. Her Estate authorized limited castings to be made from these original plasters. James Earle Fraser worked as an assistant to Augustus Saint-Gaudens on the Sherman Monument (1892 - 1903), for the Grand Army Plaza in New York. His sculptural entries in major early twentieth century expositions, such as the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, and the 1939 New York World’s Fair, earned him medals, as well as public and critical acclaim. The design of the Indian head and buffalo nickel for the United States Treasury in 1912, the figure of Theodore Roosevelt on horseback for the entry to the American Museum of Natural History, and numerous other public sculptures, including the Department of the Treasury, the Commerce Building, the National Archives, and the Supreme Court, in Washington D.C., are among the sculptor’s most notable public commissions. The sculptor was also one of the organizers of and contributors to the famous, avant-garde International Exhibition of Modern Art, known as the Armory Show, of 1913.
14 1/2 x 9 x 11 in. (36.83 x 22.86 x 27.94 cm.)
Comparative Literature:
Dean Krakel, End of the Trail: The Odyssey of a Statue, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma, 1973.
Martin H. Bush, James Earle Fraser: American Sculptor, Kennedy Galleries, Inc., New York, 1969.
Alfred T. Colette and Donald M. Lantzy (exhibition catalogue essay), James Earle Fraser: The American Heritage in Sculpture, The Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, January 12-April 21, 1985.
Condition
The bronze is in overall excellent condition. Even and consistent patina throughout.
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