Harvard Art Museums > 2023.474: Death by Bacteria Medals and Medallions Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Add to Collection Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Death by Bacteria (David Smith) , 2023.474,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Dec 12, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/348990. Gallery Text David Smith began work on these elaborately detailed figurative medals at the same time he was preparing for his first solo exhibition of abstract steel sculptures. Turning the notion of the military medal on its head, he proposed here a sardonic examination of the causes and effects of war that was informed by his recent travels in Europe and the Soviet Union, by the political commentary in Picasso’s Guernica and The Dream and Lie of Franco, and by his work in the sculpture division of the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration. The accompanying statements, by turns pointed and poetic, illuminate Smith’s desire to maintain a critical stance toward American culture while acknowledging the moral imperative of American involvement in world events, particularly the expanding war in Europe. Identification and Creation Object Number 2023.474 People David Smith, American (Decatur, IN 1906 - 1965 Bennington, VT) Title Death by Bacteria Other Titles Title: Medals for dishonor Classification Medals and Medallions Work Type medal Date 1939 Culture American Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/348990 Location Location Level 1, Room 1320, Modern and Contemporary Art, Social Realism View this object's location on our interactive map Physical Descriptions Medium Cast bronze Technique Cast Dimensions 25.4 x 25.4 cm (10 x 10 in.) Provenance Recorded Ownership History The Estate of David Smith, gift; to the Harvard Art Museums, 2023. State, Edition, Standard Reference Number Standard Reference Number Estate number: k105 Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Gift of The Estate of David Smith, New York Copyright © The Estate of David Smith / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY Accession Year 2023 Object Number 2023.474 Division Modern and Contemporary Art Contact am_moderncontemporary@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Exhibition History 32Q: 1320 Social Realism, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/16/2014 - 01/01/2050 Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Modern and Contemporary Art at am_moderncontemporary@harvard.edu
