Rose, the Organ Grinder
Among familiar musical street entertainers at the turn of the twentieth century were organ grinders. Like Ruotolo himself, many were recently arrived Italian immigrants. Here, "Rose" holds a barrel organ strapped across her shoulder and cranks a handle that moves air through the instrument’s pipes to produce sound. While the artist portrayed the organ grinder with sympathy, he also may have been commenting on the panhandling of urban performers that was widely viewed as a social nuisance.
Artwork Details
- Title: Rose, the Organ Grinder
- Maker: Onorio Ruotolo (American, Cervinara, Italy 1888–1966 New York)
- Founder: Cast by New Jersey Art Foundry (American, Jersey City, New Jersey)
- Date: 1914
- Medium: Bronze
- Dimensions: 13 × 6 × 6 1/4 in. (33 × 15.2 × 15.9 cm)
- Credit Line: Gift of Bruce and Susan Lueck, 2021
- Object Number: 2021.108
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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