Stump Speaker Bank

c. 1937

Alf Bruseth

Associated Names
Alf Bruseth

Artist, American, active c. 1935

The sculpture depicts a caricatured figure of a man with exaggerated facial features, including a prominent smile showing wide-open red lips and large white teeth. The man is wearing a small tilted top hat, a green suit with red accents, a white shirt, and a red bow tie. He stands on a platform labeled "STUMP SPEAKER" in bold letters, with a bag or sack on the platform next to him. The figure appears to be a cast sculpture predominantly painted in dark brown for the skin tone, with vivid colors for the clothing. The sculpture has a playful and animated appearance. The box he stands on has a pinkish panel with a blue border and decorative elements at the corners. The overall look is reminiscent of vintage novelty items designed for entertainment or collectors.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    watercolor, gouache, and pen and ink on paper

  • Credit Line

    Index of American Design

  • Dimensions

    overall: 29.3 x 22.2 cm (11 9/16 x 8 3/4 in.)
    Original IAD Object: 7 1/2" high; 2 5/8" wide

  • Accession Number

    1943.8.8530


Artwork history & notes

Bibliography

1970

  • Hornung, Clarence P., Treasury of American Design, New York, 1970: 648, pl. 2374.

Inscriptions

lower right in watercolor: ALF BRUSETH

Wikidata ID

Q64534189

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