Cast of the Right Hand and Wrist of Hiram Powers

Hiram Powers, Cast of the Right Hand and Wrist of Hiram Powers, ca. 1855, plaster and metal, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase in memory of Ralph Cross Johnson, 1968.155.137
Copied Hiram Powers, Cast of the Right Hand and Wrist of Hiram Powers, ca. 1855, plaster and metal, 4 1⁄2 x 13 x 4 5⁄8 in. (11.3 x 33.0 x 11.8 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase in memory of Ralph Cross Johnson, 1968.155.137
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Artwork Details

Title
Cast of the Right Hand and Wrist of Hiram Powers
Artist
Studio of Hiram Powers
Date
ca. 1855
Location
Dimensions
4 1⁄2 x 13 x 4 5⁄8 in. (11.3 x 33.0 x 11.8 cm.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase in memory of Ralph Cross Johnson
Mediums
Mediums Description
plaster and metal
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure male — fragment — hand
Object Number
1968.155.137
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1968.155.137

Artwork Description

This cast of the artist’s right hand was probably made around 1855 and was a study for a statue of the statesman Daniel Webster. The hand needed to be shown holding a piece of paper, so Powers made a cast of his own hand in the appropriate position as an aid in composing the finished sculpture.