Bronze Sculpture titled “Universal Man”

Known for commemorating the life of the American Indian in bronze form, Richard Greeves (b. 1935) has a deep love for the history and lore of the American West. In this image titled "Universal Man", Greeves very finely detailed a Native American man standing with an arrow in one hand and a bow in the other. The Indian is looking over his shoulder, as if to suggest he may either be in the middle of a hunt or possibly even in the act of defending himself. Standing at an impressive height of over 2 feet, the figure has a strong look and immediately commands respect.

Greeves demonstrated impeccable skill in crafting this figure, paying great attention to form and presence. The Indian wears a feather headdress and has long, braided hair reaching past his shoulders. His face is stern and chiseled, and he looks intensely focused. Around his waist he wears a sash supporting a loin cloth, and on his feet, moccasins. These are very delicately carved, particularly around the laces and tassels.

Greeves provided a description of the bronze in a signed and undated letter: "I have placed man taking a step forward but still looking backward, waiting to step forward but not wanting to let go of the past. The bow and arrow show he is a hunter, if not with a weapon, then with his heart."

This is number 6 of an edition of 10, dated 1974. It is signed Rv Greeves.

In 2021, Gerald Peters Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, held an exhibition of Greeve's bronze sculptures of the Native Peoples that Lewis and Clark encountered on their epic journey. The catalog listed 55 bronzes in the exhibit. The gallery stated "Greeves is not only an artist, but also a historian, a visionary and an explorer. He has traveled the route, studied the journals, and researched the landscape and tribes Lewis and Clark documented. His art is informed by a deep understanding of America's past and its present. Greeves has lived for over 60 years in Fort Washakie on Wyoming's Wind River Indian Reservation and brings an intimate appreciation and awareness of the native cultures he strives to portray."

Condition: original condition

Provenance: this Bronze Sculpture titled "Universal Man" is  from the collection of a Santa Fe resident who purchased it in 1980 from a New York City art gallery

Recommended Reading: Contemporary Western Artists by Peggy and Harold Samuels, 1982, Judd's Inc., Washington, D.C. "

TAGS: Bronze Sculpture, Richard Greeves