Louisa Powers’ Hand

Hiram Powers, Louisa Powers' Hand, 1839, plaster and fabric trim, 52 121 12 in. (12.76.43.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase in memory of Ralph Cross Johnson, 1968.155.128
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Artwork Details

Title
Louisa Powers’ Hand
Artist
Date
1839
Dimensions
52 121 12 in. (12.76.43.8 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase in memory of Ralph Cross Johnson
Mediums
Mediums Description
plaster and fabric trim
Classifications
Subjects
  • Study — sculpture model
  • Figure female — fragment — hand
  • Study — anatomical study
Object Number
1968.155.128

Artwork Description

Hiram Powers (1805-73) was among the first American sculptors to establish an international reputation, rising to fame in the late 1840s with his Greek Slave, a life-size marble sculpture of a chained, nude woman. Few could have predicted Powers' incredible success from his humble beginnings on a farm in Ohio or his time in Washington, DC, where he made somber plaster portraits of four early presidents and other luminaries. Powers moved to Florence, Italy, with his wife and young children in 1837, lured there by its abundance of fine marble and highly skilled stone carvers. He quickly realized there was much to gain from making ideal compositions of nude figures drawn from literary, biblical, and historical themes. Powers set up a studio dividing labor among several assistants and, using the latest technologies such as the pointing machine, to create numerous replicas of his most popular designs in marble. Although he always intended to return to the United States, Powers remained abroad until his death and became an unofficial ambassador for American culture. He was a central figure in the expatriate colony in Florence, where he masterfully marketed his work to British nobles and American collectors touring Europe.

Works by this artist (164 items)

Hiram Powers, Louisa Powers' Hand, 1839, plaster and fabric trim, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase in memory of Ralph Cross Johnson, 1968.155.128
Louisa Powers’ Hand
Date1839
plaster and fabric trim
On view
Hiram Powers, Anstiss Derby Rogers Wetmore, modeled 1843, plaster and metal pins, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase in memory of Ralph Cross Johnson, 1968.155.99
Anstiss Derby Rogers Wetmore
Datemodeled 1843
plaster and metal pins
On view
Hiram Powers, Proserpine, 1839-1873, marble, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. George Cabot Lodge, 1926.11.1
Proserpine
Date1839-1873
marble
On view
Hiram Powers, Caleb Fiske Harris, 1867, plaster, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase in memory of Ralph Cross Johnson, 1968.155.62
Caleb Fiske Harris
Date1867
plaster
On view

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