Artwork
American Eagle on Red Scroll
American Eagle on Red Scroll is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist W. H. Bean. It dates from 1880 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. W.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition features a red scroll that frames the eagle, emphasizing its prominence.
The painting American Eagle on Red Scroll, executed by W. H. Bean in 1880, is an oil on canvas work measuring 50.2 × 60.3 cm and belongs to The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The composition features a red scroll that frames the eagle, emphasizing its prominence. As an allegorical composition, it deploys the eagle, a long‑standing emblem of national strength and liberty, to convey broader thematic concerns within the American visual language of the late nineteenth century.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on canvas, which has been mounted onto a masonite support. Measuring 50.2 cm in height and 60.3 cm in width, the composition employs a bold, allegorical style centered on a depiction of an eagle rendered in naturalistic detail against a red scroll backdrop.
The handling emphasizes crisp outlines and smooth modeling of the eagle’s plumage, set against the scroll’s flat, saturated red field. The technique favors controlled brushwork and a restrained palette, typical of late 19th-century American allegorical painting.
History & Provenance
The painting American Eagle on Red Scroll was created in 1880 by the artist W. H. Bean. Executed in oil on canvas, the work depicts an eagle and is classified as an allegory. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is displayed in The American Wing. The canvas measures 50.2 cm in height and 60.3 cm in width.
American Eagle on Red Scroll is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified within The American Wing. Painted by W. H. Bean in 1880 and executed in oil on canvas, the work measures 50.2 by 60.3 centimeters. No specific accession number or details of past exhibitions are recorded in the available sources.
Overview
W. H. Bean's "American Eagle on Red Scroll," painted in 1880, is an oil allegory depicting a bald eagle. The artwork, rendered in oil on canvas and mounted on masonite, features the national bird grasping a red ribbon inscribed with "E PLURIBUS UNUM." It was created as a potent patriotic emblem, likely intended for display in a governmental or public setting, reflecting a clear and direct artistic approach.
Artist & collection
