Justin Smith Morrill

Copied Preston Powers, Justin Smith Morrill, 1875, marble, 28 x 19 x 11 1⁄2 in. (71.1 x 48.2 x 29.1 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Gladys Gleason Swan, 1982.48
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Justin Smith Morrill
Artist
Date
1875
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
28 x 19 x 11 1⁄2 in. (71.1 x 48.2 x 29.1 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Gladys Gleason Swan
Mediums
Mediums Description
marble
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait male — Merrill, Justin Smith — bust
  • Dress — historic — classical dress
Object Number
1982.48
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1982.48

Artwork Description

Justin Smith Morrill spent most of his life in political service. Born in Strafford, Vermont, he became a prominent businessman and was elected to Congress, first as a representative and then as a senator. In this portrait, Preston Powers paid homage to Morrill’s political legacy by portraying him as a Roman statesman. His toga and stylized eyes hark back to the portrait busts of classical Rome, but his hairstyle and sideburns are of the nineteenth century.