Andrew Jackson by Hiram Powers in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, September 2008

Title: Andrew Jackson

Artist: Hiram Powers (American, Woodstock, Vermont 1805–1873 Florence)

Date: 1834–35; carved 1839

Culture: American

Medium: Marble

Dimensions: 34 3/4 x 23 1/2 x 15 1/2 in. (88.3 x 59.7 x 39.4 cm)

Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Frances V. Nash, 1894

Accession Number: 94.14

When Andrew Jackson (1767–1845) sat for Powers at the White House, he requested that the sculptor not idealize his aging facial features: "Make me as I am. . . . It’s the only safe rule to follow." This highly realistic portrait of a president with a controversial legacy reflects both of Jackson’s sobriquets: King Andrew, for his imperial style of governing, specifically his exploitation of Native American peoples, and Old Hickory, for his unbending strength and determination in the name of a populist political agenda. The bust was carved in marble in Florence, Italy, where Powers had settled permanently in 1837.

Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/11789