Model for Seated Statue of James Smithson

Copied Gutzon Borglum, Model for Seated Statue of James Smithson, 1904, painted plaster, 27 1⁄8 x 10 1⁄8 x 11 1⁄2 in. (68.9 x 25.7 x 29.2 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1967.116
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Model for Seated Statue of James Smithson
Artist
Date
1904
Location
Dimensions
27 1⁄8 x 10 1⁄8 x 11 1⁄2 in. (68.9 x 25.7 x 29.2 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
painted plaster
Classifications
Subjects
  • Study — sculpture model
  • Occupation — other — philanthropist
  • Portrait male — Smithson, James — full length
  • Architecture — monument — statue
Object Number
1967.116

Artwork Description

In December 1903, Alexander Graham Bell, a regent of the Smithsonian Institution, asked Gutzon Borglum to submit plans for a memorial honoring the institution’s founder. Borglum carefully researched James Smithson’s life before designing a miniature version of the proposed large-scale work. Rather than represent the scientist in a formal pose, he decided to show Smithson seated comfortably as if in the midst of a casual conversation. Not until October of the following year did he present his model to Bell. Borglum’s plan for a finished sculpture to be placed in front of the Smithsonian was never realized and only the model remains as a record of the intended monument.