Taking the Oath and Drawing Rations exemplifies the small genre sculptures for which John Rogers is best known. These statuettes, sculpted in plaster and painted a sandy color, portray individuals engaged in everyday activities. This particular sculpture is from Rogers's well-known Civil War series, in which a Southern woman and her young son must take the oath in order to receive food rations distributed by the Union Army. Taking the Oath and Drawing Rations illustrates the hardships endured by the masses throughout the Civil War.
