The Boy

About this artwork

This fountain sculpture is one of an edition of at least four that were produced collaboratively by the painter Elihu Vedder and the sculptor Charles Keck. The two artists met in Rome, where Vedder lived, while Keck was studying at the American Academy. The sculpture is one of the many decorative art objects that Vedder designed during his career; others include door knockers, bell pulls, and firebacks. This work, however, is the only large-scale piece produced from one of his designs. Originall...

Art Historical Context

Elihu Vedder’s bronze sculpture *The Boy* (1900–2) captures a quiet, contemplative moment in the artist’s late career. Best known as a Symbolist painter and illustrator, Vedder turned to sculpture at the turn of the twentieth century, exploring the human figure in three dimensions. This life-size work, cast in enduring bronze, reflects the period’s renewed interest in classical forms while retaining the artist’s poetic sensibility. The sculpture’s medium is especially significant: bronze allowed Vedder to model subtle textures and gestures that would last for generations. Standing over a meter tall, the figure balances a broad pan on his head—an unusual, almost playful detail that invites viewers to consider themes of balance, childhood, and everyday ritual. Now part of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Arts of the Americas collection, *The Boy* offers visitors a rare glimpse of Vedder’s sculptural voice at a time when American artists were forging new paths between tradition and modernism.

About the Artist

Elihu Vedder · 1836–1923

Elihu Vedder was born on February 26, 1836, in New York City to Dr. Elihu Vedder Sr., a dentist, and his cousin Elizabeth Vedder. As a young boy, his family relocated to Cuba for his father's ventures, an experience that sparked his artistic aspirations amid the Caribbean landscapes. He later divided his time between a boarding school and his maternal grandfather Alexander Vedder's home in Schenec...