Peacocks Fighting

Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington (1876–1973)
Peacocks Fighting, 1934
Bronze casting, E. Gargani & Sons Foundry, New York

Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington arrived in New York City in 1902 with a dream of creating monumental sculptures. Her small works like this one, cast by foundries around the city, were affordable for both individuals and museums, and established her as a sculptor.

Huntington was known for her ability to capture the motion and posture of her animal subjects, a focus inspired by her father, zoologist and paleontologist Alpheus Hyatt. Huntington was ultimately successful in large-scale commissions, including her 1915 equestrian sculpture Joan of Arc (located at Riverside Drive and 93rd Street), the first public monument by a woman in New York City.

NYSM, H-1943.27.2

Guiding Questions:

  • Why would the artist depict animals? 
  • What would you depict in a piece of art? 
  • What obstacles do you think Anna Hyatt Huntington overcame to become the highly successful female artist we recognize?

Learn more about another sculptor who depicted animals:
http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/exhibitions/henry-dispirito-stonemason-sculptor

 

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