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William Edgar Brigham

Design Using Bird Motif and Preliminary Sketches, 1914

Description

Maker

  • William Edgar Brigham, 1885-1962, American, (RISD 1903-1907; RISD Faculty 1913-1927, Decorative Design/Jewelry+Metalsmithing)

Title

Design Using Bird Motif and Preliminary Sketches

Year

1914

Medium

Watercolor on paper

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • watercolor

Supports

  • paper

Dimensions

35.6 x 25.4 cm (14 x 10 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Written on bottom:London Sept. 3rd 1914

Type

  • Design,
  • Architectural and Design Works on Paper

Credit

Gift of the Estate of William E. Brigham

Object Number

63.011.163

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Works in Process

July 31, 2021 - January 23, 2022

Nature was a great source of inspiration for metalsmith William Edgar Brigham. He created dozens of sketches in pencil and watercolor of plants and animals, translating his drawings into patterns before settling on a design for an object. These works were made from observations of birds at the London Zoo, the first zoo established for the scientific study of animals.

Brigham’s animated painting of a parrot translates into an equally expressive and colorful repeating pattern. This pattern then manifests in a design for a pendant with the same flowering foliage, which morphs into an elegant teardrop shape that forms the parrot’s perch. Even as a static object, Brigham’s parrot pendant incorporates the movement and liveliness of his real-life rendering. Similarly, his drawings of pheasants are brought to life in a design for a bowl that places the bird within a bejeweled habitat of gems, enamel, and silver. [See also: 63.011.157, 63.011.164, 63.011.165, 63.011.166].

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Design Using Bird Motif and Preliminary Sketches with the accession number of 63.011.163. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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