Joel Barlow
model 1803, cast by 1913
Medium
plaster
Dimensions
overall: 68.58 × 60.96 × 30.48 cm (27 × 24 × 12 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Gift of Peter T. Barlow)
Accession Number
2014.136.236
Art Historical Context
This plaster bust captures Joel Barlow, the American poet diplomat, and Revolutionary War figure, modeled originally by the celebrated French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon in 1803. Houdon was renowned for his neoclassical portraits that brought a lifelike vitality to his subjects, often depicting prominent Americans such as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin during their visits to Paris. The work reflects the era’s transatlantic cultural exchanges, as European artists immortalized the young nation’s leaders and intellectuals. Cast in plaster by 1913 after Houdon’s model, this sculpture ex...