Distelfink, (sculpture).

Distelfink, (sculpture).

Lago, Ramon, 1947-2018, sculptor.

Hartung, Ruthanne, assistant.

Seltz, Stanley, assistant.

Crescent Brass Manufacturing Corporation, founder.

CarTech, fabricator.

Distelfink, (sculpture).

1984. Dedicated Aug. 1985.

Digital Reference:

Sculpture: cast aluminum and stainless steel, painted; Base: concrete and wood, painted.

Sculpture: approx. 6 ft. x 11 ft. 6 in. x 32 in.; Base: approx. 2 ft. 6 in. x 6 ft. x 3 ft. 6 in.

Ruthanne Hartung 1985 Berks County PA - FRACTUR PAINTER (Plaque on North side of base:) DISTELFINK/1984/RAMON LAGO SCULPTOR/SPONSORED BY/BERKS COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL/CAROLYN RAMSEY, PRES/DONORS/BERKS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS/DONALD BAGENSROSE-CHAIRMAN/ANTHONY CORABELLO/VERNON K. SCHAEFFER/THE WYOMISSING FOUNDATION INC/THE HENRY JANSEN FOUNDATION/READING BERKS GUILD OF CRAFTSMEN/THE WOMENS CIVIC CLUB OF READING/BERKS ART ALLIANCE/CRESCENT BRASS MFG CORP/STANLEY G. SELTZ unsigned

The sculpture depicts a giant version of the Pennsylvania Dutch bird decoration known as a Distelfink, an image that adorns marriage and birth certificates, biblical illustrations, and household items in Pennsylvania German Art. The Distelfink is a bird standing with its head turned around facing its back. The bird is painted tan with its wings and head painted with a green, light blue, red and beige pattern, and its tail is painted light blue and light green with red and beige painted tulips. The Distelfink is made of cast aluminum with stainless steel legs. It is mounted on a rectangular base made of concrete encased in tongue and groove wood painted green and grey.

Ethnic -- German

Outdoor Sculpture -- Pennsylvania -- Wyomissing

Administered by Berks County Parks and Recreation, 2083 Triepihocken Road, Berks County Heritage Center, Wyomissing, Pennsylvania 19610

Located Berks County Heritage Center, 2083 Triepihocken Road, Wyomissing, Pennsylvania 19610

Early German folk artists in Pennsylvania turned the image of the thistlefinch, a small field finch known as a Distelfink in Germany, into a folk art motif that has come to represent happiness and good luck. The image of the distelfink is often presented in various colorations, but the design and color of this one by Ramon Lago has been researched and is distinctive of early versions of the motif.

The idea for the sculpture was conceived by the president of the Berks County Arts Council, Carolyn Ramsey and sculptor, Ramon Lago. Funds amounting to $11,100 were donated by the Berks County Arts Council, the County of Berks, the Reading Berks Guild of Craftsmen, the Wyomissing Foundation, the Henry Janssen Foundation, the Women's Civic Club of Reading, the Berks Art Alliance, and Bell Laboratories. The sculpture was cast by Crescent Brass Foundry. The bird's stainless steel legs were made by CarTech. The sculpture was painted by Ruthanne Hartung, Ramon Lago, and Stanley Seltz. The sculpture was repainted in 1993.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, Pennsylvania survey, 1995.

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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