Loulie’s Hand

Copied Hiram Powers, Loulie's Hand, 1839, plaster, 5 1⁄2 x 5 1⁄2 x 2 3⁄4 in. (14.0 x 14.0 x 7.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase in memory of Ralph Cross Johnson, 1968.155.129
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Loulie’s Hand
Artist
Date
1839
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
5 1⁄2 x 5 1⁄2 x 2 3⁄4 in. (14.0 x 14.0 x 7.0 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase in memory of Ralph Cross Johnson
Mediums
Mediums Description
plaster
Classifications
Subjects
  • Study — sculpture model
  • Figure female — fragment — hand
Object Number
1968.155.129
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1968.155.129

Artwork Description

Hiram Powers’s first daughter, Louisa Greenough Powers, was born in 1838. Powers made many casts of his daughter’s hands and forearms, including Louisa Powers’ Hand, taken when she was one year old. This cast was displayed in the artist’s studio on a luxurious green cushion. From this, Powers modeled a sculpture of a small hand resting on an open sunflower, a symbol of devotion. The piece became so popular that clients requested replicas for many years after the first version was completed. The later Loulie’s Hand, modeled in 1851, was commissioned by James Lenox, a New York merchant and philanthropist.