Sculpture

Title:

Playing Doctor

Object Name:

Sculpture

Object ID:

1958.019

Creator:

Rogers, John (1829-1904)Sculptor

Date:

1872-1890

Description:

Sculpture. Figural group. "Playing Doctor," by John Rogers (1829-1904). Plaster. Boy wearing man's coat seated at right on cushioned stool with cabriole legs and claw and ball feet. Girl standing at left leaning over younger child at center and wrapping a blanket around him. Child sits in slat-back chair (which has ruffled slip cover visible from rear) with his legs in a tub of water, bottom of boot that he holds in right hand is also in water. Older boy holds closed umbrella between left arm and body. He holds bottle in left hand while tipping child's head back with right hand. A teacup containing a spoon sits on floor near boy's left foot. The child's other boot and trousers are piled on floor at left. Base is rectangular, 1.75" high, with round corners. Inscriptions: "JOHN ROGERS / NEW YORK," at front on upper surface of base to right of center; "PLAYING DOCTOR," on front surface of base; and "PATENTED / OCT. 15 1872," at rear on upper surface of base. Painted "clay" color.

Material:

Plaster

Dimensions:

H-14.75 W-15.25 D-11 inches

Provenance:

One of the more popular "Rogers Groups," of which there are between 21 and 30 surviving examples. Cast from a glue mold made from the bronze master model (now at the New York Historical Society) for which Rogers' children posed.
Much of the sculptor's earliest work was done in Manchester, NH, where he was employed as a draftsman and mechanic, but nothing modeled there is known to survive.

Credit Line:

Gift of Alfred W. Tovey

People:

Rogers, John (1829-1904)

Subjects:

Sculpture, Doctors, Playing