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Group of Bears

Paul Manship American
1932; cast 1963
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 700
In 1932, Manship modeled three bears as individual figures for the Paul J. Rainey Memorial Gateway at the Bronx Zoo. In 1939, he regrouped the figures to face forward—the seated bear on the left, the standing bear in the center, and the walking bear on the right. This large Group of Bears was cast in 1963 and stood for over twenty years on the grounds of Manship’s house near Gloucester, Massachusetts. Like many of his animal sculptures, it is simplified in form, with just enough detail to capture the distinctive personalities of the three bears. The sculptor’s highly personal style evolved from his study of the art of preclassical Greece, medieval Europe, and Eastern Asia.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Group of Bears
  • Artist: Paul Manship (American, St. Paul, Minnesota 1885–1966 New York)
  • Date: 1932; cast 1963
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: 88 x 72 x 56 in. (223.5 x 182.9 x 142.2 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Sheila W. and Richard J. Schwartz Fund, in honor of Lewis I. Sharp, 1989
  • Object Number: 1989.19
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

Audio

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813. Kids: Group of Bears

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