Daniel Webster
1860–68; carved 1868
Medium
Marble
Dimensions
30 x 18 x 11 in. (76.2 x 45.7 x 27.9 cm)
Classification
Bust
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. William Couper, 1913
Accession Number
13.214
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the striking marble bust of *Daniel Webster* by Thomas Ball, sculpted between 1860 and 1868. This 30-inch-tall portrait captures the renowned American statesman (1782–1852) in a moment of dignified resolve, his features rendered with neoclassical precision typical of Ball's style. As a leading 19th-century sculptor, Ball excelled in public monuments, blending classical ideals with realistic American portraiture, making this piece a quintessential example from The American Wing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Webster, a masterful orator and senator from Massachusetts, championed nati...