catalog text
HARRY WICKEY (AMERICAN, 1892-1968)
"SULKING BULL" (1937)
Patinated bronze | signed to base "Wickey 37", cold-stamped "ROMAN BRONZE WORKS. INC. NY."
Item # 106CJG12W
A very fine cast of Sulking Bull executed in 1937 by the Roman Bronze Works foundry in New York for Harry Wickey, it is an exceedingly rare model to show up on the open market. In 2001 the same model was offered at Christies situated over a small wooden base where it achieved $ 7638 USD. The surface is finished in an overall dark brown chemical patina with hints of a brilliant ochre coming through beneath in a few areas. It is signed in the rectangular base "Wickey 37" and stamped along the back edge with the foundry markings.
Born in Styker, Ohio in 1892, Wickey studied at the Detroit School of Fine Arts from 1911-1912 and at the Ferrer Modern School in New York City in 1915. He served in France during World War I. He returned to New York City where he achieved national renown for his etchings before turning his focus to sculpture in the late 1930s as his eyesight became impaired from the use of acids during the etching process. His work was represented largely by the Weyhe Gallery in New York City and his 1941 biography "Thus Far: The Growth of An American Artist" was published by the American Artists Group.
In addition to his exhibitions at Weyhe, he regularly exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy, the Salmagundi Club, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Art Institute of Chicago and the National Academy of Design. Additionally a collection of his papers are held in the Smithsonian Institution's Archives of American Art and an inventory of his papers for the years 1925-1968 are held at Syracuse University. He was a full member of the National Academy of Design as well as the Woodstock Art Association, received Guggenheim Foundation Fellowships in 1939 and 1940, was awarded by the American Institute of Arts and Letters in 1949 and taught at the Art Students League in New York City.
Even during his lifetime many of his models were acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Library of Congress, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the New York Public Library among others. He died in Cornwall, New York in 1968.
Artist Listings & Bibliography:
- See Christie's, New York, 14 June 2000, Sale 8385, Lot 95, achieved $ 7638 USD
- "Thus Far: The Growth of An American Artist", H. Wickey, New York, 1941, p. 258-260, present model illustrated
- "Harry Wickey and His Work", Weyhe Gallery, H. Wickey & C. Zigrosser, New York, 1938
- Blaton Museum of Art, present model held in permanent collection with recorded height of 10 1/2" (acc. no. G1975.6.6)
Exhibitions (Source: Guggenheim Foundation):
- One-man show of prints, drawings and sculpture, Cincinnati Museum of Art, 1938
- Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, 1939
- Dayton Art Institute, 1939
- Exhibited at Art Institute of Chicago
- Sesquicentennial Exposition
- Salmagundi Club
- National Academy of Design
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Civic Club of New York City
- Newark Museum
- Boston Museum of Fine Arts
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- American Society of Etchers
- Venice Biennial Exhibition
- Paris International Exposition
- International Print Exhibition at Stockholm
- New York World’s Fair
Awards (Source: Guggenheim Foundation):
- Awarded the Shaw Prize, Salmagundi Club, 1924
- Logan Medal, Chicago Society of Etchers, 1926
- Bronze medal, Sesquicentennial Exposition, 1927
- Noyes Prize, American Society of Etchers, 1934
Museum Representation:
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Newark Museum
- Boston Museum of Fine Arts
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- New York Public Library
- Addison Gallery
- Library of Congress
- Blaton Museum of Art
- Delaware Art Museum
Measurements: 10 5/8" H x 16 1/8" W x 7 1/2" D
Condition Report:
Very fine overall condition; patina well-preserved under beeswax with light handling wear to the upper edge of shoulder, back of neck, tips of horns. An exquisite presentation.