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Lot description
Robert Berks (1921-2011) Bust of John F. Kennedy Dated 1965 Cast bust of President John F. Kennedy by American sculptor Robert Berks, signed and mounted on an integral square plinth bearing the inscription: A Presentation of 65th Anniversary Convention I.L.G.W.U. Miami Beach May 1965. The present example, dated 1965 and associated with the International Ladiesâ Garment Workersâ Union convention in Miami Beach, reflects the immediate post-assassination period during which Berksâ image of Kennedy became central to American commemorative culture. The bust retains a rich variegated green and brown patina consistent with age. The inscription is integrally cast into the plinth, situating the work firmly within its historical moment. Material: Cast composite with verdigris painted patina, signed behind the neck. Height: 8.75 inches Condition: Very good overall; minor surface wear consistent with age; patina well preserved. Catalogue Note Robert Berksâ portrait of John F. Kennedy became the definitive sculptural image of the President in the years following 1963. Berksâ textured modeling approach, modern yet reverential, distinguished his likeness from more classical interpretations and secured its widespread institutional adoption.Variants of Berksâ Kennedy bust have been displayed in significant governmental settings, including examples held and exhibited at the White House. Works dated to the mid-1960s, particularly those bearing period inscriptions, represent early commemorative castings produced at the height of national memorialization.