Two Bears [Plaster]

Dublin Core

Title

Two Bears [Plaster]

Subject

Animal sculpture--20th century

Description

Two Bears, 1965
Plaster original

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall M. Fredericks
1991.003

Two Bears was originally created for Lincoln Square, Urbana, Illinois. A large and small bear sit back to back in quiet contemplation. In nature, these two animals are enemies, however, Fredericks portrays the two in a gentle humanistic way, stressing tolerance. Notice the differences in the bears ears and noses. Also if you look closely at the small bear's knees you will notice a tear drop sculpting style, known as one of Fredericks' trademarks. Other sculptures that display this characteristic are The Thinker, Lion and Mouse, and the Male Baboon and Female Baboon sculptures.

Creator

Fredericks, Marshall M., 1908-1998

Source

Animal sculpture--20th century

Date

1965

Rights

Use of this image requires permission from the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum

Type

Sculpture

Coverage

University Center (Mich.)

Sculpture Item Type Metadata

Physical Dimensions

80" x 41" x 75"

Materials

Plaster full-scale

Catalog Number

1991.003

Object Location

Main Exhibit Gallery

Provenance

1987 November 30, Gift to Museum and SVSU Board of Control

Notes

From Jennifer Lentz (Collection Documentation Intern 1991-1992)
Memo dated October 23, 1991

"RE: Two Bears

All of the photos in Mr. Fredericks' studio are dated to 1969. Molly has acknowledged that the correct date is 1964. This is inscribed on the plaster original."


September 18, 1991

Memo to file

From: Jennifer Lentz, Collection Documentation Intern
Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Gallery

Re: TWO BEARS - small-scale at Quarton Elementary School in Birmingham

They have a small-scale bronze dated to 1967. There is no plaque but it is titled "Friends Big and Little."


August 7, 1991

FROM: Jennifer Lentz, Intern
Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Gallery

RE: Two Bears at Southfield Public Library


The sculpture is located in the Youth Services Area. It is bronze with brown patination and it rests upon an oval shaped black marble pedestal which is on a light colored marble base. There is a plaque mounted on the base which indicates is was a gift of the Friends of the Southfield Public Library. It is signed and there is a foundry mark - Bedi-Rassy NYC. I spoke with Carol Miller at the library and she said it was acquired in late 1969 or early 1970. However it must have been cast before 1970 because that is when the foundry changed it's name from Bedi-Rassy to Bedi-Makky.


Note: A Full-Scale bronze in 1990 sold at auction by Leslie Hindman Auctioneers for $40,000, and had a personal estimate of $4,000/$6,000.


Molly Barth copy:
This is a full-size plaster model of the "Two Bears". Don't miss the little one that's hiding back behind. One's a brown bear, and one's a black bear, and, normally, they don't get along very well, but the big one's looking out for the little one. This was cast in bronze, and it's located at the Sterling Heights Public Library in Michigan and the little children went around collecting all the pennies that they could toward the donation of the casting in bronze. It's also located at Interlochen and also at Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina, and also at the University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois.

Files

1991.003.jpg

Citation

Fredericks, Marshall M., 1908-1998, “Two Bears [Plaster],” Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, accessed March 29, 2024, https://omeka.svsu.edu/items/show/5052.