Freedom
Otto Braun, Free, modeled 1876, carved after 1876, basswood, 30 1/2 x 8 1/4 x 15 3/8 in. Courtesy Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas.
Additional Resources
Blog - Black History Month: Emma Cadwalader Guild's sculpture "Free"
Otto Braun
Free
- What clues does the artist give us that tells how this person is feeling at this moment? How can you tell?
- Consider the title of this sculpture - Free. Is this man free? Why or why not?
This sculpture presents an African American man leaning against the stump of a tree with his gaze downcast and hands held behind him as if they are bound. Although the title indicates that he is a freed man, his posture suggests a more complicated reality. In the decades following the abolition of slavery, African Americans still had limited social mobility due to prejudice and Reconstruction-era conditions, making it hard for those who were formerly enslaved to better their quality of life.
- How does one's identity affect their freedom? What rights should belong to everyone, regardless of their identity or experiences?
Content Contributors
Exhibition sponsored by Kenneth C. Griffin
Learning and engagement programming for
We the People: The Radical Notion of Democracy is sponsored by:
Sarah and Ross Perot, Jr. Foundation | Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates, & Woodyard, P.L.L.C. | Johnny and Jeanie Morris, Bass Pro Shops | Alturas Foundation | Harriet and Warren Stephens, Stephens Inc. | Sotheby’s | Bob and Becky Alexander | Marybeth and Micky Mayfield | Lamar and Shari Steiger | Jeff and Sarah Teague / Citizens Bank | Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities | Avis and Bill Bailey | Scarlett and Neff Basore | June Carter Family | Terri and Chuck Erwin | Jackye and Curtis Finch | The Harrison and Rhonda French Family | Jim and Susan von Gremp | Laurice Hachem | Shannon and Charles Holley | Valorie and Randy Lawson / Lawco Energy Group | Donna and Mack McLarty | Steve and Susan Nelson | Neal and Gina Pendergraft | Helen Porter | JT and Imelda Rose | Lee and Linda Scott | Stella Boyle Smith Trust, Catherine and Michael Mayton, Trustees | William Reese Company
