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Andasweenterthisnextgallery, pleaseturnyourattentiontothestatueonyourright.
It'sabustoftheseventhPresidentoftheUnitedStates, AndrewJackson.
ItwasdonebyAmericansculptorHiramPowers.
Mr. PowersisparticularlysignificanttooursculpturecollectionhereattheMetropolitanMuseumofArt.
HisstatueentitledCaliforniawasthefirstworkbyanAmericanartisttobecomepartofthecollectionattheMet.
Butbacktothispiece.
WhenPowerswasmodelingthisbust, heaskedthePresident, whowas 68 yearsoldatthetime, ifhewantedtobemadetoappearyoungerthanthat.
PresidentJacksonrepliedthathedidn't; soasyoucansee, he'sshownherewithwrinklesandlinesofagingetchedonhisface.
Consequently, thisbustisconsideredtobeoneofthemostrealisticportrayalsofAndrewJackson.
PowerstraveledfromhisstudioinItalytotheWhiteHousetodotheoriginalstudyforthebust.
Hedidthestudyinclay, cuthesculptedthefinalstatuefromfineItalianmarble, asyoucansee.
Ishouldaddthattheusualpracticeatthetimewastogetlocalartisanstodotheactualcarvingofthemarble.
NotethatthePresidentisdrapedinaRomantoga.
Thisisbecauseinthenineteenthcenturythatwasthecustomaryattireforrepresentationsofheadsofstateandotherimportantfigures.
PowerskeptthebustinhisstudiountilafterPresidentJackson'sdeath, whenitwassoldtotheDemocraticClubinNewYorkCity.
ItwaslenttoushereattheMetin 1874 andtwentyyearslaterbecamepartofourpermanentcollection.
Now, ...ifyou'llstepthisway, we'llmoveontothenextpiece.