{
"data": {
"id": 452906,
"accession_number": "2022.2",
"share_license_status": "CC0",
"tombstone": "Why Born Enslaved!, 1867. Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (French, 1827\u20131875). Plaster, original polychromed surface; 67 cm (26 3/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 2022.2",
"current_location": "219 19th Century European",
"title": "Why Born Enslaved!",
"creation_date": "1867",
"creation_date_earliest": 1867,
"creation_date_latest": 1867,
"artists_tags": [
"male"
],
"culture": [
"France"
],
"technique": "Plaster, original polychromed surface",
"support_materials": [],
"department": "Modern European Painting and Sculpture",
"collection": "Mod Euro - Sculpture 1800-1960",
"type": "Sculpture",
"measurements": "67 cm (26 3/8 in.)",
"dimensions": {
"No Extent Specified": {
"height": 0.67,
"height_inch": 26,
"height_inch_fraction": 0.375
}
},
"state_of_the_work": null,
"edition_of_the_work": null,
"copyright": null,
"inscriptions": [],
"exhibitions": {
"current": [],
"legacy": []
},
"provenance": [
{
"description": "Artist's studio, Paris",
"citations": [],
"footnotes": null,
"date": "1868\u20131875",
"sortorder": 1
},
{
"description": "Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, by descent to Louis and Louise-Clement Carpeaux, the artist's children",
"citations": [],
"footnotes": [
""
],
"date": "1875",
"sortorder": 2
},
{
"description": "Louis and Louise-Clement Carpeaux, their sale, Studio J-B Carpeaux, Galerie Manzi-Joyant, Paris, 30 May 1913, lot 42, acquired by Stefanos (\"Etienne\") Eugenidi",
"citations": [],
"footnotes": null,
"date": "1913",
"sortorder": 3
},
{
"description": "Stefanos (\"Etienne\") Eugenidi [1879\u20131957], France",
"citations": [],
"footnotes": [
"Eugenidi was a banker, born in Greece, died in Lausanne, Switzerland. He is listed in the directory of the University of Paris of 1902. There is a portrait of him by Aim\u00e9 Nicolas Morot [French, 1850\u20131913] in the National Gallery of Greece, Athens, donation of St. (Stefanos) Eugenidi.
"
],
"date": "1913\u20131930s",
"sortorder": 4
},
{
"description": "A noble family, Normandy, France, from at least the 1930s until 2017",
"citations": [],
"footnotes": null,
"date": "1930s\u20132017",
"sortorder": 5
},
{
"description": "Private Collection, Switzerland",
"citations": [],
"footnotes": null,
"date": "2017\u20132021",
"sortorder": 6
},
{
"description": "(Koller Auktionen, Z\u00fcrich, 10 September 2021, lot 1199, acquired by Stuart Lochhead Sculpture, London)",
"citations": [],
"footnotes": null,
"date": "2021",
"sortorder": 7
},
{
"description": "(Stuart Lochhead, London, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art",
"citations": [],
"footnotes": null,
"date": "2021\u20132022",
"sortorder": 8
},
{
"description": "The Cleveland Museum of Art, acquired from Stuart Lochhead Sculpture, London",
"citations": [],
"footnotes": null,
"date": "2022\u2013",
"sortorder": 9
}
],
"find_spot": null,
"related_works": [],
"former_accession_numbers": [],
"did_you_know": "Although officially abolished in France since 1848, slavery remained a hotly contested issue in Carpeaux\u2019s time as it remained legal or tolerated in various countries around the world.",
"early_education_description": null,
"artlens_description": null,
"description": "One of the most powerful expressions of abolitionist sentiment in the visual arts, Why Born Enslaved! depicts an African woman bound by ropes and looking defiantly upward. The ropes press painfully into her breasts; her torn blouse alludes to the violence responsible for her condition. The original, polychromed surface is covered with complex, nuanced hatchings and subtle modeling. Evidence indicates that this masterpiece of 19th-century French sculpture served as the master model for numerous casts in other museum collections.",
"external_resources": {
"wikidata": [
"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q117247143"
],
"internet_archive": [
"https://archive.org/details/clevelandart-2022.2-why-born-enslaved"
]
},
"citations": [
{
"citation": "Gautier, Th\u00e9ophile, \u201cSalon de 1869: Sculpture.\u201d Journal Officiel de l'Empire Fran\u00e7ais (May 24, 1869).",
"page_number": "",
"url": ""
},
{
"citation": "Atelier J.-B. Carpeaux: Catalogue de sculptures originales par J.B. Carpeaux. Paris: Galerie Manzi\u00ad Joyant, May 1913.",
"page_number": "p. 9, no. 42.",
"url": ""
},
{
"citation": "Cl\u00e9ment-Carpeaux, Louise. La V\u00e9rit\u00e9 sur l'oeuvre et la vie de J.-B. Carpeaux. Paris: Dousset et Bigerrelle, 1934-1935.",
"page_number": "",
"url": ""
},
{
"citation": "Honour, Hugh. The Image of the Black in Western Art, 5 vols. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1989.",
"page_number": "IV, part I: pp. 259-61; IV, part 2: pp. 166-69",
"url": ""
},
{
"citation": "Poletti, Michel, Jean Baptiste Carpeaux, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Alain Richarme, and Alain Richard. Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Sculpteur : Catalogue Raisonne\u0301 De L'oeuvre E\u0301dite\u0301. Paris: Editions de l'Amateur, 2003.",
"page_number": "pp. 34 and 141.",
"url": ""
},
{
"citation": "Draper, James David, Jean Baptiste Carpeaux, Papet E\u0301douard, Elena Carrara, Horner Nade\u0300ge, Laure de Margerie, Jean-Claude Poinsignon, et al. The Passions of Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. New York, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014.",
"page_number": "pp. 163-64; 323",
"url": ""
},
{
"citation": "Murrell, Denise, Wallach Art Gallery, Wallach Art Gallery, Muse\u0301e d'Orsay, and Mus\u00e9e d'Orsay. Posing Modernity : The Black Model from Manet and Matisse to Today. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2018.",
"page_number": "pp. 43 and 187, no. 60.",
"url": ""
},
{
"citation": "Nelson, Ellyse, Wendy S. Walters (eds.). Fictions of Emancipation : Carpeaux's Why Born Enslaved! Reconsidered. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2022.",
"page_number": "pp. 9-11; 14-27.",
"url": ""
},
{
"citation": "Robinson, William H. \u201cWhy Born Enslaved! The museum acquires a masterpiece.\u201d Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine 62, no. 2 (2022): 26-27.",
"page_number": "Reproduced: P. 27; Mentioned: P. 26.",
"url": ""
},
{
"citation": "Lochhead, Stuart. The First Five Years. London: Stuart Lochhead Sculpture, 2024.",
"page_number": "Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 62-67",
"url": ""
}
],
"url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2022.2",
"images": {
"annotation": null,
"web": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_web.jpg",
"width": "780",
"height": "900",
"filesize": "223460",
"filename": "2022.2_web.jpg"
},
"print": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_print.jpg",
"width": "2947",
"height": "3400",
"filesize": "1953692",
"filename": "2022.2_print.jpg"
},
"full": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_full.tif",
"width": "4105",
"height": "4736",
"filesize": "58352364",
"filename": "2022.2_full.tif"
}
},
"alternate_images": [
{
"web": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt0_web.jpg",
"width": "782",
"height": "900",
"filesize": "184162"
},
"print": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt0_print.jpg",
"width": "2956",
"height": "3400",
"filesize": "1376262"
},
"full": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt0_full.tif",
"width": "7798",
"height": "8969",
"filesize": "209846236"
},
"date_created": "2022-02-24T14:58:40",
"annotation": ""
},
{
"web": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt1_web.jpg",
"width": "773",
"height": "900",
"filesize": "200777"
},
"print": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt1_print.jpg",
"width": "2919",
"height": "3400",
"filesize": "1605507"
},
"full": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt1_full.tif",
"width": "7735",
"height": "9011",
"filesize": "209126212"
},
"date_created": "2022-02-24T15:42:20",
"annotation": ""
},
{
"web": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt2_web.jpg",
"width": "747",
"height": "900",
"filesize": "183170"
},
"print": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt2_print.jpg",
"width": "2821",
"height": "3400",
"filesize": "1341086"
},
"full": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt2_full.tif",
"width": "7666",
"height": "9238",
"filesize": "212481020"
},
"date_created": "2022-02-24T16:36:50",
"annotation": ""
},
{
"web": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt3_web.jpg",
"width": "721",
"height": "900",
"filesize": "182938"
},
"print": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt3_print.jpg",
"width": "2722",
"height": "3400",
"filesize": "1334280"
},
"full": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt3_full.tif",
"width": "6967",
"height": "8701",
"filesize": "181884996"
},
"date_created": "2022-02-24T17:57:44",
"annotation": ""
},
{
"web": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt4_web.jpg",
"width": "728",
"height": "900",
"filesize": "193678"
},
"print": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt4_print.jpg",
"width": "2749",
"height": "3400",
"filesize": "1492242"
},
"full": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt4_full.tif",
"width": "7456",
"height": "9221",
"filesize": "206281068"
},
"date_created": "2022-02-24T17:21:51",
"annotation": ""
},
{
"web": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt5_web.jpg",
"width": "900",
"height": "806",
"filesize": "282225"
},
"print": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt5_print.jpg",
"width": "3400",
"height": "3043",
"filesize": "2821417"
},
"full": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt5_full.tif",
"width": "7431",
"height": "6650",
"filesize": "148276048"
},
"date_created": "2022-02-24T20:50:39",
"annotation": ""
},
{
"web": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt6_web.jpg",
"width": "900",
"height": "615",
"filesize": "274577"
},
"print": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt6_print.jpg",
"width": "3400",
"height": "2323",
"filesize": "2625580"
},
"full": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt6_full.tif",
"width": "6147",
"height": "4200",
"filesize": "77478028"
},
"date_created": "2022-02-24T19:03:07",
"annotation": ""
},
{
"web": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt7_web.jpg",
"width": "900",
"height": "586",
"filesize": "260014"
},
"print": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt7_print.jpg",
"width": "3400",
"height": "2213",
"filesize": "2541512"
},
"full": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt7_full.tif",
"width": "6413",
"height": "4174",
"filesize": "80329008"
},
"date_created": "2022-02-24T19:24:36",
"annotation": ""
},
{
"web": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt8_web.jpg",
"width": "900",
"height": "900",
"filesize": "360665"
},
"print": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt8_print.jpg",
"width": "3400",
"height": "3400",
"filesize": "3826258"
},
"full": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt8_full.tif",
"width": "8463",
"height": "8462",
"filesize": "214870180"
},
"date_created": "2022-02-24T20:24:05",
"annotation": ""
},
{
"web": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt9_web.jpg",
"width": "891",
"height": "900",
"filesize": "360904"
},
"print": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt9_print.jpg",
"width": "3365",
"height": "3400",
"filesize": "3554201"
},
"full": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt9_full.tif",
"width": "9815",
"height": "9916",
"filesize": "292006084"
},
"date_created": "2022-02-24T21:26:50",
"annotation": ""
},
{
"web": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt10_web.jpg",
"width": "842",
"height": "900",
"filesize": "303616"
},
"print": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt10_print.jpg",
"width": "3179",
"height": "3400",
"filesize": "3180963"
},
"full": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt10_full.tif",
"width": "7706",
"height": "8243",
"filesize": "190589820"
},
"date_created": "2022-02-24T22:08:15",
"annotation": ""
},
{
"web": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt11_web.jpg",
"width": "771",
"height": "900",
"filesize": "199839"
},
"print": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt11_print.jpg",
"width": "2914",
"height": "3400",
"filesize": "1580840"
},
"full": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt11_full.tif",
"width": "8644",
"height": "10085",
"filesize": "261550156"
},
"date_created": "2022-02-23T19:00:37",
"annotation": ""
},
{
"web": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt12_web.jpg",
"width": "706",
"height": "900",
"filesize": "191903"
},
"print": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt12_print.jpg",
"width": "2668",
"height": "3400",
"filesize": "1511069"
},
"full": {
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.2/2022.2_alt12_full.tif",
"width": "7259",
"height": "9252",
"filesize": "201506564"
},
"date_created": "2022-02-23T22:56:54",
"annotation": ""
}
],
"creditline": "Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund",
"image_credit": null,
"sketchfab_id": "88dcb072960b4f73a43e9831d2808554",
"sketchfab_url": "https://sketchfab.com/models/88dcb072960b4f73a43e9831d2808554",
"gallery_donor_text": "Norma and Alfred Lerner Gallery",
"athena_id": 452906,
"creators": [
{
"id": 5856,
"description": "Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (French, 1827\u20131875)",
"extent": null,
"qualifier": null,
"role": null,
"biography": null,
"name_in_original_language": null,
"birth_year": "1827",
"death_year": "1875",
"use_in_caption": true,
"include_extent": false,
"weight": 1
}
],
"legal_status": "accessioned",
"accession_date": "2022-03-07T05:00:00Z",
"sortable_date": 1867,
"date_added_to_oa": null,
"date_text": "1867",
"collapse_artists": false,
"on_loan": false,
"recently_acquired": false,
"record_type": "object",
"conservation_statement": null,
"has_conservation_images": false,
"cover_accession_number": null,
"is_nazi_era_provenance": false,
"impression": null,
"alternate_titles": [],
"is_highlight": false,
"updated_at": "2026-09-11 22:02:14.706000"
}
}