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This is a painting of a marionette puppet. The artwork shows a detailed marionette puppet with a large head, exaggerated facial features, and a neutral expression. The puppet wears a green textured sweater and is suspended by strings. Its limbs are jointed and crafted to resemble wood, with carved details. The background is a plain, light-colored canvas that emphasizes the puppet as the central subject.
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This is a painting of a marionette puppet. The artwork shows a detailed marionette puppet with a large head, exaggerated facial features, and a neutral expression. The puppet wears a green textured sweater and is suspended by strings. Its limbs are jointed and crafted to resemble wood, with carved details. The background is a plain, light-colored canvas that emphasizes the puppet as the central subject.

National Gallery of Art · Index of American Design

"Cannibal" Marionette

James McLellan

Date
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, graphite, pen and ink, and gouache on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 48.9 x 37.2 cm (19 1/4 x 14 5/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 19" high
Classification
Index of American Design · Drawing
Accession number
1943.8.15648
Credit line
Index of American Design
Time span
1926 to 1950
Department
CG-W
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • American
Inscription

lower right in black ink: James McLellan

NGA object ID 27739. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.