Bust of Edgar Miller

Bob Horn
c. 1989
Clay
H 25, W 20, L 25 cm

One of the few pieces held in the Gallery that isn't by Edgar Miller himself, this bust of Miller was executed in the late 1980s by Bob Horn (1947-2020), a fellow artisan, who helped to restore many of the Handmade Homes studios. Horn befriended Miller when he returned to Chicago in the late 1980s.

Realized with his iconic bow tie and walking cap, Miller sat for the sculpted portrait sometime around 1989, when he was nearly 90 years old. The bust is one of the most soulful depictions of Miller, and one of the few examples of a portrait of him produced by a fellow artist. The fine detail work captures Miller towards the end of his career and life, a Renaissance man to the very end.