4x5 transparency scanned on Hasselblad Flextight X1 by Ed Pollard-2012.

The Sun Vow

Artist Hermon Atkins MacNeil (1866-1947)

Manufacturer Roman Bronze Works (American)

Datemodeled 1898-1899, cast ca. 1925

MediumBronze

Dimensions33 x 21 x 23 in. (83.8 x 53.3 x 58.4 cm)

ClassificationsSculpture

Credit LineGift of the Norfolk Society of Arts

Object number32.6.1

Terms

Indians
Man
Boy
Arrows
Bows
Bronze

Collections

American Art before 1945

On View

On view

DescriptionThis bronze statue of two Native Americans, a young boy and seated man, tells a story of the rites of passage. The young boy holds an empty bow pointed towards the sky, as if the arrow has just released, pointed toward the sun. He must prove he has strength enough to make it vanish from sight. He stands next to an older man who is seated on a rock covered with fur. The elder squints up at the sun in the direction of the disappeared arrow. There is a full-feathered headress over his lap. Their heads are close together and his long hair is parted into two braids while the young boy's flows loose and free.

Label TextHermon Atkins MacNeil American, 1866–1947 The Sun Vow, modeled 1898–99, cast ca. 1925 Bronze cast by Roman Bronze Works, White Plains, New York With grace and confidence, an Indian boy aims his arrow directly into the sun. His teacher squints to judge whether the shot’s precision will earn the young archer official passage into manhood. The detailed hairstyles, headdress, and moccasins attest to sculptor Hermon MacNeil’s knowledge of Native American costume. Meanwhile, the smooth curves of the nude bodies, echoing the elegant form of the raised bow, reveal admiration for the graceful naturalism of Auguste Rodin’s bronzes. The Sun Vow was an early gift to the Museum, and its blend of American history and European style set an ambitious tone for this collection. Gift of the Norfolk Society of Arts 32.6.1