Sunday 19 April 2015

#627 Anna Hyatt Huntington and Brookgreen: horses, con't . . .


Please start this series of blogs about the horse with post # 616

Brookgreen Gardens in Murrell's Inlet, South Carolina is home to the largest and most important collection of American figurative sculpture in existence.  Founded by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington in 1931 this outdoor museum is a mecca for sculptors and a destination for lovers of sculpture, natural history, and the culture of the Carolina Lowcountry.

Brookgreen is an accredited museum and a National Historic Landmark.  Anna Hyatt Huntington's significance 
as a sculptor and patron of the arts and the importance of the museum's collection has given America a unique
 gift of sculpture in a beautiful natural setting.  Interestingly, there are number of women sculptors 
represented in the  collection which will be spotlighted in future posts. 

The focus of this blog is part one of Anna Hyatt Huntington's favorite subject and model:  The horse.

Below, is Huntington's monumental sculpture, "Fighting Stallions".  This enormous work, created 
for Brookgreen's  entrance in 1950 and cast in aluminum, has become the iconic symbol of the museum.
Anna was a pioneer in the lightweight and light-catching qualities of casting in aluminum.



I was told by Robin Salmon, authority on Huntintingon's work and curator of sculpture at Brookgreen 
for over 35 years, that Anna and Archer wanted a dramatic, heroic image that would encourage travelers 
on the coastal highway to stop and enjoy the unprecedented beauty of outdoor sculpture in a natural setting. 

Below, are details of "Fighting Sallions".











Another outstanding Huntington sculpture on the vast, 9,000 acre grounds
at Brookgreen is "Youth Taming the Wild", shown below.



This stunning monument is placed by a secluded reflecting pool dotted with water lilies and
visited by an occasional Egret or Great Blue Heron.  Shown below, are  details of the work.











Go to the BLOG INDEX on the right for more information.

Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish



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