George Washington
Artist
Thomas Crawford
(American, 1814 - 1857)
CultureAmerican
Datemodeled ca. 1850
MediumMarble
DimensionsOverall: 31 1/2 x 22 5/8 x 12 1/2 in. (80 x 57.5 x 31.8 cm)
Credit LineGift of James H. Ricau and Museum purchase
Object number86.466
Not on view
DescriptionMarble statue bust of George Washington with drapery.Label TextThomas Crawford American (ca. 1813 - 1857) George Washington, modeled ca. 1850 Marble Gift of James H. Ricau and Museum purchase 86.466 Thomas Crawford depicts George Washington not in contemporary military dress, but in "timeless" neoclassical drapery, as a hero for the ages. He modeled the head on the French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon's earlier bust of Washington, which was itself derived from Houdon's life mask of Washington. Crawford recreated the pose of the head in Houdon's bust, slightly turned to the left, and closely followed its facial structure and details, from the wattle under the chin to the creases where the chin and neck meet below the left ear. Crawford's first portrayal of Washington was the monumental bronze equestrian statue commissioned by the Virginia Legislature for the Capitol grounds in Richmond. Completed in 1850, it served as inspiration for at least five marble busts, including the Chrysler's. Born in New York City, Crawford was in Rome by 1835, he completed his studies with the famous Danish neoclassical sculptor Bertel Thorwaldsen. He was the first American sculptor to live there permanently, and it was there that he created his stirring portrait bust of George Washington. Exhibition History"The Ricau Collection," The Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, Va., February 26 - April 23, 1989. "First in the Hearts of His Countrymen: America Remembers George Washington 1732-1799," Chrysler Museum of Art, Nov. 23, 1999 - Summer 2001. "Behind the Seen: The Chrysler's Hidden Museum," Large Changing Gallery, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va., October 21, 2005 - February 19, 2006. "Reopening of the Joan P. Brock Galleries," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va., Opening in March of 2008. Published ReferencesH. Nichols B. Clark, _A Marble Quarry: The James H. Ricau Collection of Sculpture at The Chrysler Museum of Art_ (New York: Hudson Hills Press, Inc., 1997).
