Judge Alphonso Taft

Copied Hiram Powers, Judge Alphonso Taft, 1869, plaster, 24 3⁄8 x 16 1⁄8 x 11 1⁄8 in. (61.8 x 40.8 x 28.2 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase in memory of Ralph Cross Johnson, 1968.155.76
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Judge Alphonso Taft
Artist
Date
1869
Location
Dimensions
24 3⁄8 x 16 1⁄8 x 11 1⁄8 in. (61.8 x 40.8 x 28.2 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase in memory of Ralph Cross Johnson
Mediums
Mediums Description
plaster
Classifications
Keywords
  • Study — sculpture model
  • Occupation — law — judge
  • Portrait male — Taft, Alphonso — bust
  • Portrait male — Taft, Alphonso — nude
Object Number
1968.155.76
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1968.155.76

Artwork Description

Alphonso Taft was born in Townshend, Vermont, in 1810. He graduated from Yale and began a successful law career in Cincinnati. In 1876 he was appointed secretary of war to President Grant, and was soon promoted to attorney general. Hiram Powers employed many workmen to carve marble replicas of his busts and statues. This was a time-consuming process, and the hair alone in this portrait took almost six weeks to complete.