Figure group

Museum Object Number 2016.0019.003

Object Name

Figure group

Title

Neighboring Pews

Category

Sculpture

Credit Line/Donor

Gift of Tescia Yonkers, in memory of her mother, Rose A. Yonkers

Creator (Role)

John Rogers (Sculptor)

Date of Birth

1829

Date of Death

1904

Place of Origin

New York, New York, Mid-Atlantic, United States, North America

Date

1884

Mark or Signature or Inscription or Label

1. Mark; Front base; Cast in, “Neighboring Pews”
2. Mark; Proper right base; Cast in, “John Rogers New York 1883"
3. Mark; Back base; Cast in, “Patented Jan 25 1884”

Materials

Plaster; Paint

Techniques

Cast, Sculpted

Dimensions (inches)

12.1 (H) , 17.7 (L) , 17 (W)

Dimensions (centimeters)

30.8 (H) , 44.9 (L) , 43.2 (W)

Object Description

Web - 05/20/2025

This sculpture represents a type produced in large numbers for display in the homes of ordinary people during the late 1800s. Created by John Rogers, often called the “people’s sculptor,” artworks like these featured familiar, socially appropriate scenes from daily life. In Neighboring Pews, a young man and woman share a light, respectful moment in church, while an older woman nearby looks on with disapproval. Rogers’s sculptures were affordable and meaningful, allowing middle-class families to decorate their homes with art that reflected both style and the accepted Victorian values of modesty and piety.