John B. Flannagan (American, 1895–1942)
Ram
INV-2142
John B. Flannagan (American, 1895–1942)c. 1930
Modernismsculpture
Date
c. 1930
Medium
Granite
Dimensions
36.8 × 19.1 × 31.1 cm (14 1/2 × 7 1/2 × 12 1/4 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Through prior acquisition of the George F. Harding Collection
In this sculpture, John B. Flannagan shallowly carved the ram’s curving horns, downturned ears, and folds of wool with minimal incisions that follow the irregular shape of the granite block. The artist was acclaimed for his skill as a direct carver: instead of planning the work with clay models, he took inspiration from an individual piece of stone and saw himself as simply releasing the image from it. Flannagan enjoyed sculpting animals because he believed they represented nature unspoiled, and he carved the granite as little as possible to maintain this purity.
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