figure study for a fountain design
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of the American Academy of Arts and Letters
Accession Number
1955-38-49
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Elihu Vedder’s “Figure Study for a Fountain Design,” created around 1890, offers a rare glimpse into the working methods of this American artist. Best known for his symbolic and illustrative works, Vedder produced this drawing as a preparatory sketch, exploring human forms intended for a larger sculptural or architectural project. Now part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection, the piece was generously gifted by the American Academy of Arts and Letters and remains an object of ongoing research. Classified simply as a drawing with its medium still unidentified, the study underscores the vital role of preliminary sketches in late-19th-century artistic practice. Vedder’s careful attention to posture and proportion suggests he was envisioning figures that would animate a public fountain, blending fine-art draftsmanship with decorative design. Such works illuminate how American artists of the period bridged painting, sculpture, and functional outdoor spaces.