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His First Journey

Founder Cast by Roman Bronze Works
1901, cast ca. 1906
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 774
"His First Journey" reveals the delight and pride of a baby as he pushes himself up on his hands to begin inching across a blanket. Although Vonnoh did not include an adult figure in the composition, the baby’s triumph at learning to crawl is palpably shared by an onlooker, whose presence is indicated by the upward glance and broad grin on the infant’s face. This statuette was among the artist’s most popular interpretations of childhood: there were about thirty-nine documented lifetime bronzes. The Museum’s cast is marked “No. X.”

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: His First Journey
  • Artist: Bessie Potter Vonnoh (American, St. Louis, Missouri 1872–1955 New York)
  • Founder: Cast by Roman Bronze Works
  • Date: 1901, cast ca. 1906
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: 4 7/8 x 9 x 5 in. (12.4 x 22.9 x 12.7 cm)
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1906
  • Object Number: 06.307
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Girl Dancing, Bessie Potter Vonnoh American, Bronze, American
Girl Dancing
Bessie Potter Vonnoh
Roman Bronze Works
1897; cast ca. 1906
Enthroned, Bessie Potter Vonnoh American, Bronze, American
Enthroned
Bessie Potter Vonnoh
Roman Bronze Works
1902, cast 1906
A Young Mother, Bessie Potter Vonnoh American, Bronze, American
A Young Mother
Bessie Potter Vonnoh
Roman Bronze Works
1896, cast ca. 1906
Lamp, Louis C. Tiffany American, Leaded Favrile glass and bronze, American
Lamp
Louis C. Tiffany
Tiffany Studios
1904–15
Cooking-on-Saturday, Leslie Garland Bolling American, Yellow-poplar, American
Cooking-on-Saturday
Leslie Garland Bolling
1936

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