Samuel F. B. Morse

Horatio Greenough, Samuel F. B. Morse, 1831, marble, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Edward L. Morse, 1919.1.1
Copied Horatio Greenough, Samuel F. B. Morse, 1831, marble, 19 12128 34 in. (49.530.522.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Edward L. Morse, 1919.1.1
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Artwork Details

Title
Samuel F. B. Morse
Date
1831
Dimensions
19 12128 34 in. (49.530.522.2 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Edward L. Morse
Mediums
Mediums Description
marble
Classifications
Highlights
Subjects
  • Occupation — science — inventor
  • Portrait male — Morse, Samuel F.B. — bust
  • Portrait male — Morse, Samuel F.B. — nude
  • Occupation — art — sculptor
  • Occupation — art — painter
  • Occupation — art — painter
Object Number
1919.1.1

Artwork Description

Samuel F. B. Morse began his career as an artist and produced a series of highly acclaimed paintings, including portraits of the most celebrated people of the day. While working as a painter, he labored to instill in his fellow Americans the idea of the vital role of the arts in the development of the United States. Because of a lack of steady patronage, Morse ultimately abandoned art and devoted his time to developing the electromagnetic telegraph he unveiled in 1837.

The Great American Hall of Wonders, 2011