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Francis Granger (1792 - 1868)
183723 x 17 x 11 in. (58.4 x 43.2 x 27.9 cm)
Hiram Powers
United States (Woodstock, VT, 1805 - 1873, Florence, Italy)
Object Type:
Sculpture
Medium and Support:
Marble
Credit Line:
Bequest of Antoinette Pierson Granger
Accession Number:
1930.73
Location: Not currently on view
“Now then for a small piece of vanity—Powers, the sculptor, is taking me in clay, to be wrought in marble in Italy next summer. If he does not get a perfect head, it will be his first failure.”
New York Congressman and Canandaigua resident Francis Granger was one of many prominent American politicians to sit for a classical-style portrait bust by Hiram Powers. Many Grand Tourists made Powers’ sculpture studio in Florence, Italy, a stop on their travels, to witness the artist at work, view his latest creations, or commission a personal artwork.
[Label text from It Came From the Vault exhibition, 2013]
Why do portrait busts often have blank eyeballs? Here’s one theory: originally, many ancient Greek and Roman sculptures were painted, including the eyes, but over the years the paint has faded so that by the 19th century, the eyes appeared to be blank. While 19th century artists often modeled their portrait busts of important political figures on these Classical forms, they did not know that the eyes had been painted originally, so they left them blank. Only with current technology has it been possible to understand how the older sculptures actually appeared.
The subject of this sculpture, Francis Granger (1792 – 1868), was born a decade after the American Revolution and died right after the Civil War. A congressman from nearby Canandaigua when he posed for this sculpture in 1837, he said: “Now then for a small piece of vanity – Powers, the sculptor, is taking me in clay, to be wrought in marble in Italy next summer. If he does not get a perfect head, it will be his first failure.”
[Gallery label text, 2009]
New York Congressman and Canandaigua resident Francis Granger was one of many prominent American politicians to sit for a classical-style portrait bust by Hiram Powers. Many Grand Tourists made Powers’ sculpture studio in Florence, Italy, a stop on their travels, to witness the artist at work, view his latest creations, or commission a personal artwork.
[Label text from It Came From the Vault exhibition, 2013]
Why do portrait busts often have blank eyeballs? Here’s one theory: originally, many ancient Greek and Roman sculptures were painted, including the eyes, but over the years the paint has faded so that by the 19th century, the eyes appeared to be blank. While 19th century artists often modeled their portrait busts of important political figures on these Classical forms, they did not know that the eyes had been painted originally, so they left them blank. Only with current technology has it been possible to understand how the older sculptures actually appeared.
The subject of this sculpture, Francis Granger (1792 – 1868), was born a decade after the American Revolution and died right after the Civil War. A congressman from nearby Canandaigua when he posed for this sculpture in 1837, he said: “Now then for a small piece of vanity – Powers, the sculptor, is taking me in clay, to be wrought in marble in Italy next summer. If he does not get a perfect head, it will be his first failure.”
[Gallery label text, 2009]
Provenance
Francis Granger, descended through his family to his granddaughter, Antoinette P. Granger; bequeathed to the Gallery in 1930
Keywords
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Additional Images
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Exhibition List
This object was included in the following exhibitions:
- Granger Homestead Granger Homestead long-term loan from 1930-1968
- If Elected I will Serve Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester 9/10/2004 - 11/21/2004
- It Came from the Vault: Rarely Seen Works from MAG's Collection 3/17/2013 - 6/9/2013
Bibliography
This object has the following bibliographic references:
- Article Scope: Mention. Elizabeth Brayer. Magnum Opus: The Story of the Memorial Art Gallery, 1913-1988. Rochester, NY: Memorial Art Gallery, 1988.
- Byron H., Mrs. Delavan. Granger Homestead. Canandaigua, NY: Granger Homestead Society, ca. 1960.
Portfolio List
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This object is a member of the following portfolios:
Web Links
See links to web pages and lesson plans
Granger Homestead
Website of the Granger Homestead and Carriage Museum, home to four generations of the Granger family, in Canandaigua, NY.
It Came from the Vault exhibition catalogue
Entry for this artwork in the It Came from the Vault exhibition catalogue. The exhibition ran from March 17-June 9, 2013