Riches of the Earth: The Joy of Effort, (sculpture).

Riches of the Earth: The Joy of Effort, (sculpture).

Calder, Alexander Stirling, 1870-1945, sculptor.

Donovan, John J., 1875-1949, architect.

Hornbostel, Henry, architect.

Mathews, Walter J., d. 1947, architect.

Couchot, Maurice C., d. 1933, engineer.

N. Clark & Sons, contractor.

Riches of the Earth: The Joy of Effort, (sculpture).

Joy of Effort, (sculpture).

Digital Reference:

White glazed terra cotta.

Approx. 60 x 25 x 18 ft.

(On proper right panel:) SPORT (On center panel:) THE JOY OF EFFORT (On proper left panel:) PLAY

Three large-scale glazed terra cotta relief panels set in a niche on the side of a building. The panel on the left depicts two full-length nude male figures. The figure at the top performs gymnastics on the rings. He holds a ring in each hand, elbows bent. His legs swing down to the right. The figure at the bottom is rowing. He is seated, faces forward, and has both hands placed on the oar which extends off to his proper right.

Four figures are shown in the center panel. In the bottom left corner is the waist-length figure of a man, his back turned and proper left arm bent. In the middle of the panel is a full-length nude male figure shown in left profile, his back slightly turned. He prepares to hurl a discus. To the right is the full-length figure of a nude male jumping up to catch a football. He has both arms raised high and his knees are lifted and bent. Near the top of the panel is a full-length nude male in the position of a long-jump competitor. His legs are extended out in front of his torso; his proper right arm reaches forward. Near the bottom of the panel is a tennis racket.

At the top of the panel on the right is a full-length nude female jumping rope. At the bottom of the panel is the full-length figure of a man swimming.

Figure male -- Full length

Figure female -- Full length

Figure group -- Male

Recreation -- Sport & Play -- Rope Skipping

Recreation -- Sport & Play -- Track & Field

Object -- Toy -- Sports Equipment

Recreation -- Sport & Play -- Swimming

Recreation -- Sport & Play -- Boating

Recreation -- Sport & Play -- Football

Recreation -- Sport & Play -- Gymnastics

Outdoor Sculpture -- California -- Oakland

Architectural component

Administered by City of Oakland, 1421 Washington Street, Room 409, Oakland, California 94612

Located Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, 10 Tenth Street, Oakland, California

Formerly located Oakland Auditorium, 10 Tenth Street, Oakland, California 1915-1982.

One of a series of seven niches entitled "Riches of the Earth" along the north wall of the Oakland Auditorium. The auditorium was renamed the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center in the 1980's. Terra cotta for the niches was supplied by N. Clark & Son. Donovan was architect for the building and Hornbostel was consulting architect. Donovan was later replaced as supervising architect by Mathews. Couchot was engineer for the building project. Dates given are construction dates for the building. Final cost of the building including sculpture was $978,052. IAS files contain copy of related State of California Historic Resources Inventory and copy of related article from Oakland Tribune, Jan. 29, 1961.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, California survey, 1994.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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