Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2009.11 |
Object Name |
Bust |
Title |
Bust of John Quincy Adams |
Artist |
Unknown |
Date |
1832 |
Description |
Chest length bust of a bald man with angular eyebrows and high cheekbones. No clothes were sculpted. Cast iron bust inset into wooden base. Painted on gold on the front bottom base: "John Quincy Adams/1767-1848." Brass plaque affixed to base below inscription: "John Quincy Adams 1767-1848. APS 1818. Councillor 1819-1831/6th President of the U.S./ Cast in Iron after the Cardelli bust, 1832/Gift of S. J. Wetherill, 1832." Cast at Windsor Furnace, Bucks County, PA. |
Label |
This portrait of John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the United States and member of the APS, was done in 1818, the same year as his election to the APS. Sculptor Pietro Cardelli travelled to Adams’ home in Washington, D.C., to conduct sittings for the bust. Cardelli, a successful sculptor in Europe, traveled to America hoping to work on the sculptures of the U.S. Capitol building. Adams helped him acquire commissions for the busts of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. This bust was cast in iron after the Cardelli portrait in the APS collection (58.S.15) and presented to the APS in 1832. Adams' tenure as President, from 1825-1829, saw his development of the “American System,” including high tariffs, a national bank, an increase in trade negotiations with other countries, and infrastructure improvement throughout the country. After serving as President, Adams returned to politics as a member of Congress, where he was a prominent opponent of slavery. While his stubbornness often made him a poor politician, his commitment to strengthening the United States saw an increase in U.S. international stature. |
Medium |
Iron |
Dimensions |
H-23 W-13.5 D-9.75 inches |
Credit line |
American Philosophical Society. Gift of Charles J. Wetherill, 1832. |
Search Terms |
19th century nineteenth century sculpture president |