Crane Holding a Snail and Dancing
1945
Morris Graves
American, born Fox Valley, Oregon, 1910; died Loleta, California, 2001
That a dancing crane should appear in Graves’ art at the war’s end is not that surprising. The crane’s elegance and its lively mating dance make it a perfect representation of happiness, which it is in Asian culture. The crane would naturally feed on a snail, but here the snail is a partner in the bird’s joyous dance, the unusual pairing possibly serving as Graves’ metaphor for peace.
Opaque and transparent watercolor on gold-toned paper
42 1/8 x 23 1/4 in. (107 x 59.1 cm)
Gift of the Marshall and Helen Hatch Collection, in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Seattle Art Museum
2009.52.18
Photo: Elizabeth Mann
