Thomas Jefferson
model 1832-1833, cast after 1892
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
overall: 38.7 x 16.7 x 12 cm (15 1/4 x 6 9/16 x 4 3/4 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ferdinand Lammot Belin Fund
Accession Number
1975.11.1
Art Historical Context
This bronze bust of *Thomas Jefferson* by French Romantic sculptor Pierre-Jean David dAngers captures the essence America's third president and principal author of the Declaration of Independence. Modeled between 1832 and 1833—six years after Jefferson's death 1826—and cast in bronze after 1892, it reflects d'Angers' fascination with enlightened figures during his era of political upheaval in Europe. As a leading portraitist, d'Angers often celebrated liberal thinkers, and this work likely draws from earlier likenesses, immortalizing Jefferson's intellectual vigor and revolutionary spirit. Cr...
About the Artist
Pierre-Jean David d'Angers (French) · 1788 –1856
French, Angers 1788–1856 Paris