His First Journey

Bessie Potter Vonnoh

1901, cast ca. 1906 · Bronze · The American Wing

"His First Journey" reveals the delight and pride of a baby as he pushes himself up on his hands to begin inching across a blanket. Although Vonnoh did not include an adult figure in the composition, the baby’s triumph at learning to crawl is palpably shared by an onlooker, whose presence is indicated by the upward glance and broad grin on the infant’s face. This statuette was among the artist’s most popular interpretations of childhood: there were about thirty-nine documented lifetime bronzes. The Museum’s cast is marked “No. X.”

Artist

Bessie Potter Vonnoh

Date

1901, cast ca. 1906

Medium

Bronze

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1906