Turkey 1910 - 1911

Anne Marie Carl Nielsen's sculpture of a "Turkey" captures the animal's form in cool, silvery bronze. I can almost feel Nielsen coaxing this bird into being, modeling the clay with her hands, slowly building up the mass and texture, feather by feather. I imagine she observed the real turkey closely, noticing the proud carriage of its neck, the strange but elegant arrangement of its plumage. There is a kind of restrained energy in the way the turkey stretches its neck, looking upwards, maybe calling out. It’s so solid, yet there’s this quiet tension, like a coiled spring. The surface is interesting. It seems alive with tiny marks, so tactile, that catch the light, giving a sense of movement. I think of other animal sculptures, but there is a unique empathy here, a certain respect. Sculpture becomes a conversation across time, each artist sharing their way of seeing, feeling, understanding. It leaves room for us to bring our own experiences.