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Burton Freund
Phi Beta Red Kappa

$30,000
£22,904.87
€26,466.37
CA$42,114.32
A$46,940.80
CHF 24,628.23
MX$573,223.68
NOK 311,846.90
SEK 294,742.75
DKK 197,530.04

About the Item

American artist Burton Freund worked in Chicago in the 1930's and 1940’s for the FAP (Federal Arts Project) as an illustrator and sculptor. These original wood sculptures are time capsules of the 1930's and 1940's, hand carved out of solid wood including their bases. Walking the train platform in Chicago in 1938, the artist saw a "Red Cap" porter with a Phi Beta Kappa key hanging around his neck. When asked, the porter told him he was a university graduate Phi Beta Kappa, when the artist asked why he was working as a train porter, the man exclaimed, "This is the best job I could find." Burton Freund then began carving this sculpture out of a solid piece of ebony, one of the hardest know woods. It took more than a year to complete; the final result was an exceptional original wood sculpture of the porter including his Phi Beta Kappa key hanging around his neck. Sculpted in 1938, and 24 inches tall, this is one of the most intricate original WPA works we have seen to date. Please contact the gallery for additional information.
  • Creator:
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 24 in (60.96 cm)Width: 9 in (22.86 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    There is some natural cracking within teh ebony but noting worrysome, it is just a feature of a wood sculpture of this age.
  • Gallery Location:
    West Hollywood, CA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1302672473

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