Paul Robeson's Son
Entry ID
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26 (07/01/2022)
Formal title of the work
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Paul Robeson's Son
Description of the sculpture
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Bronze head of Paul Robeson Jr. as a young boy. He was the son of American stage and film actor, singer and political activist, Paul Robeson. Paul Robeson Jr. became an author, historian, political activist and civil rights campaigner. The head stands on a two-tier black base.
URLs where this is recorded/available
Type of object
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Bust – Portrait
Base
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Base present - appears to be the original base
Dimensions
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Height: 31.4 cm
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Width: 25.5 cm
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Depth: 22.5 cm
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Height (base): 21.6 cm
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Width (base): 19 cm
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Depth (base): 1.4 cm
Materials
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Bronze
Specific techniques used
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Casting
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Patination
Overall colour
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Monochrome – black
Does the Black person have a specific identity?
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Identifiable: specific individual
Identity of Black person (real or fictive)
Role within sculpture
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Main protagonist
Gender
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Male
Age
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Child
Status
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Free citizen
Clothing
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No clothes included (head)
Evidence of enslavement
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None
Evidence of 'exotic' status
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None
Action or activity
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Not relevant (head)
Emotional state
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Neutral/emotionless
Focus of gaze of Black person
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Looking sideways
Sculptural context
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No location included/implied
Sculptor
Place of production
Period of production
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Twentieth century (1900-1999)
Date of Production
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1931
Date inferred from
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Recorded in related documentation
Original purpose
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Decorative
Original display setting
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Unknown
Current owner
Current / most recently known location
Accession number
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VIS.2765
Provenance history
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October 1939: presented to Museums Sheffield: Graves Gallery by the Sheffield Society for the Encouragement of Art
Exhibition ID number
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London 1939, no. 6
Notes
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The original plaster model was destroyed in 1982.
Reference pages
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Silber 1986, p. 170, cat. no. 216. This cast is listed as no. 1 under 'Provenance': it appears to have been purchased direct from the Leicester Galleries in October 1939 by the Sheffield Society for the Encouragement of Art.
Associated with
License terms for reuse
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
 Paul Robeson |
Associated with | E22 Man-Made Object |
 Paul Robeson |
Associated with | E22 Man-Made Object |
 Paul Robeson |
Associated with | E22 Man-Made Object |
http://13.41.147.145/s/database/item/21, . (no date) ‘Paul Robeson’s Son’, Black People in European Sculpture, accessed May 5, 2025, http://13.41.147.145/s/database/item/288
