{"object":[{"sourceId":{"label":"Source ID","value":"3946"},"altNumsArchivespace":{"label":"ArchiveSpace","value":"P1.2001.252"},"copyright":{"label":"Copyright","value":"The American Folk Art Museum believes this work to be in the public domain."},"creditline":{"label":"Credit Line","value":"Gift of Ralph Esmerian"},"endDate":{"label":"End Date","value":"1845"},"sortNumber":{"label":"Sort Number","value":"2013     1   37"},"invno":{"label":"Accession number","value":"2013.1.37"},"medium":{"label":"Medium","value":"Watercolor, ink, and pencil on paper"},"geographyPlaceregion":{"label":"Place/Region","value":""},"media":{"label":"Media","value":{"mediaURL":"https://collection.folkartmuseum.org/internal/media/dispatcher/3047/full","mediaDepartment":"Object Photographs","mediaType":"Image","mediaId":"3047"}},"title":{"label":"Title","value":"Man Feeding a Bear an Ear of Corn"},"geographyCity":{"value":""},"textEntriesWebsitedisplaytext":{"value":"In this watercolor a man is feeding an ear of corn to a bear who appears small and friendly. It is painted in a style reminiscent of the Pennsylvania German art of fraktur, and includes a tulip, stars, and a crescent moon, motifs that appear on printed almanacs. The elements of a black bear, tree, and dog on the roof of the house, however, may be based on the sport of black bear baiting. Historical references cite this practice in Pennsylvania\u2019s Bucks County at the beginning of the nineteenth century: \u201c[I]t is said that bear-baiting was a frequent pastime in the county as late as 1815. . . .\u201d and \u201cOn the 1st of January, 1807, John Worman had a great bear-bait at his hotel. . . .\u201d As a sport, black bear baiting has a long history in Europe. In early America hounds were bred specifically for tracking black bears and herding them to a tree, where they could be hunted and collected. The large animals were perceived as a threat to settlements and assumed mythical dimensions as symbols of all that was unknown about the land.Yet another interpretation of the watercolor may lie in the practice of putting exotic animals on display in front of public houses to draw custom. While bears could not be considered as exotic as elephants, lions, and camels, they were exhibited in Pennsylvania as attractions outside establishments such as public taverns. In his zoo and museum at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Charles Willson Peale exhibited two large grizzlies that had been captured by explorer Zebulon Pike.Stacy C. Hollander, \u201cMan Feeding a Bear an Ear of Corn,\u201d exhibition label for Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum. Stacy C. Hollander and Valérie Rousseau, curators. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2014. Object information is a work in progress and may be updated with new research. Records are reviewed and revised, and the American Folk Art Museum welcomes additional information.　To help improve this record, please email photoservices@folkartmuseum.org"},"collections":{"label":"Collections","value":["Works on Paper","Paintings"]},"geography":{"label":"Geography","value":""},"pubreferences":{"label":"Published References","value":"Young America: A Folk Art History.  Jean Lipman, Elizabeth V. Warren and Robert Bishop.  New York: Hudson Hills Press in association with the Museum of American Folk Art, 1986, illustrated fig. 1.21, p. 27.                               Five-Star Folk Art: One Hundred American Masterpieces. Jean Lipman, Robert Bishop, Elizabeth V. Warren and Sharon L. Eisenstat. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. in association  with the Museum of American Folk Art, 1990, ill. #21, p.54. The Flowering of American Folk Art, 1776-1876.  Jean Lipman and Alice Winchester.  New York: Viking Press, 1974, p64, fig. 80. #80                                                The Blue Story House, Oxford University Press, 1976, Arts and Antiques Weekly, December 7, 1973."},"id":{"label":"Id","value":"154757"},"geographyState":{"value":"Pennsylvania"},"geographyCountry":{"value":"United States"},"onview":{"label":"On View","value":"0"},"people":{"label":"Artist / Maker","value":{"displayOrder":"1","personRole":"Artist","personID":"103","content":"Artist unidentified"}},"classifications":{"label":"Classification(s)","value":"Drawings"},"textEntries":{"label":"Text Entries","value":"In this watercolor a man is feeding an ear of corn to a bear who appears small and friendly. It is painted in a style reminiscent of the Pennsylvania German art of fraktur, and includes a tulip, stars, and a crescent moon, motifs that appear on printed almanacs. The elements of a black bear, tree, and dog on the roof of the house, however, may be based on the sport of black bear baiting. Historical references cite this practice in Pennsylvania\u2019s Bucks County at the beginning of the nineteenth century: \u201c[I]t is said that bear-baiting was a frequent pastime in the county as late as 1815. . . .\u201d and \u201cOn the 1st of January, 1807, John Worman had a great bear-bait at his hotel. . . .\u201d As a sport, black bear baiting has a long history in Europe. In early America hounds were bred specifically for tracking black bears and herding them to a tree, where they could be hunted and collected. The large animals were perceived as a threat to settlements and assumed mythical dimensions as symbols of all that was unknown about the land.Yet another interpretation of the watercolor may lie in the practice of putting exotic animals on display in front of public houses to draw custom. While bears could not be considered as exotic as elephants, lions, and camels, they were exhibited in Pennsylvania as attractions outside establishments such as public taverns. In his zoo and museum at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Charles Willson Peale exhibited two large grizzlies that had been captured by explorer Zebulon Pike.Stacy C. Hollander, \u201cMan Feeding a Bear an Ear of Corn,\u201d exhibition label for Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum. Stacy C. Hollander and Valérie Rousseau, curators. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2014. Object information is a work in progress and may be updated with new research. Records are reviewed and revised, and the American Folk Art Museum welcomes additional information.　To help improve this record, please email photoservices@folkartmuseum.org"},"beginDate":{"label":"Begin Date","value":"1835"},"displayDate":{"label":"Date","value":"c. 1840"},"exhibitions":{"label":"Exhibitions","value":[{"exhibitionDisplayDate":"Tuesday, November 16, 2004 - Sunday, August 23, 2009","exhibitionEndISODate":"2009-08-23","exhibitionID":"132","exhibitionISOBeginDate":"2004-11-16","exhibitionBeginDate":"2004","exhibitionTitle":"Folk Art Revealed","exhibitionEndDate":"2009"},{"exhibitionDisplayDate":"Tuesday, December 11, 2001 - Sunday, June 2, 2002","exhibitionEndISODate":"2002-06-02","exhibitionID":"207","exhibitionISOBeginDate":"2001-12-11","exhibitionBeginDate":"2001","exhibitionTitle":"American Radiance","exhibitionEndDate":"2002"},{"exhibitionDisplayDate":"Tuesday, September 30, 1986 - Sunday, April 24, 1988","exhibitionEndISODate":"1988-04-24","exhibitionID":"115","exhibitionISOBeginDate":"1986-09-30","exhibitionBeginDate":"1986","exhibitionTitle":"Young America","exhibitionEndDate":"1988"},{"exhibitionDisplayDate":"Tuesday, May 13, 2014 - Sunday, August 17, 2014","exhibitionEndISODate":"2014-08-17","exhibitionID":"171","exhibitionISOBeginDate":"2014-05-13","exhibitionBeginDate":"2014","exhibitionTitle":"Self-Taught Genius","exhibitionEndDate":"2014"},{"exhibitionDisplayDate":"Tuesday, February 11, 2020 - Sunday, January 3, 2021","exhibitionEndISODate":"2021-01-03","exhibitionID":"239","exhibitionISOBeginDate":"2020-02-11","exhibitionBeginDate":"2020","exhibitionTitle":"American Perspectives","exhibitionEndDate":"2021"},{"exhibitionDisplayDate":"Thursday, September 13, 1990 - Sunday, December 2, 1990","exhibitionEndISODate":"1990-12-02","exhibitionID":"1","exhibitionISOBeginDate":"1990-09-13","exhibitionBeginDate":"1990","exhibitionTitle":"Five-Star Folk Art","exhibitionEndDate":"1990"},{"exhibitionDisplayDate":"Wednesday, September 27, 2017 - Thursday, February 8, 2018","exhibitionEndISODate":"2018-02-08","exhibitionID":"214","exhibitionISOBeginDate":"2017-09-27","exhibitionBeginDate":"2017","exhibitionTitle":"Highlights from Self-Taught Genius","exhibitionEndDate":"2018"}]},"altNums":{"label":"Alternative Numbers","value":"P1.2001.252"},"dimensions":{"label":"Dimensions","value":"Sheet: 5 5/8 x 7 1/2 \" (14.3 x 19.1 cm)Frame: 13 x 14 7/8 x 3/4 \" (33 x 37.8 x 1.9 cm)"}}]}