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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
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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
- Dress — historic — classical dress
- Portrait male — Merrill, Justin Smith — bust
- Object Number
- 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.