photo with black background of plaster cast bust of Alexander Hamilton
photo with black background of plaster cast bust of Alexander Hamilton
photo closeup with black background of plaster cast bust of Alexander Hamilton
photo of two walls of a library filled with books and skylights in ceiling and plaster cast bust of Alexander Hamilton on table
$ 725.00

Alexander Hamilton - Item #207

Patina Options

Each piece is custom finished. Depending on a sculpture’s texture and level of detail, the look of a patina can vary. A slight variation in color from order to order is to be expected.

Unless otherwise noted, our reproductions are hand cast in plaster and reinforced with burlap, fiber strands, and/or metal rods for extra strength.

 

FLAT WHITE: A unified, matte white finish. This is the optimum patina for cast drawing as it allows focus on form.

photo of cast of sculpture relief of robed figure, head now missing, reaching for her sandal in Flat White Patina on a dark gray background       

WHITE PATINA: A white finish with a light ivory tone added to the top surfaces.

       

LIGHT ANTIQUE PLASTER: A soft mixture of whites, grays, and yellows to replicate the look of an aged plaster cast.

     

ANTIQUE PLASTER: A dramatic mixture of grays and yellows to replicate the look of an aged plaster cast.

     

BRONZE: A rich brown finish with golden highlights to replicate the look of bronze.

     

STONE: A mixture of lighter tones to resemble natural stone.

 

DARK STONE: A mixture of darker tones to resemble natural stone.

 

SANDSTONE: A soft base color with warm highlights to resemble the look of natural sandstone.

 

TERRA COTTA: A variation of warm tones to resemble terra cotta.

 

ASSYRIAN STONE (Applies only to item numbers 3, 4, 5, 6 and 738): A two-tone patina augmenting the shallow relief sculpture and its stone texture.

TANAGRA PATINA (Applies only to item numbers 317, 318, 319, 320, 396 and 813): A finish that replicates the colors of the Tanagra figurines as shown in the product images.

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26 Inches High x 13 Inches Wide x 11 Inches Deep

Several marble and plaster copies of this life-sized bust of Hamilton (1755/1757-1804) exist in museums today. Jefferson placed a copy at his home, Monticello, opposite a larger bust of himself, also by Giuseppe Ceracchi (1751-1801), and this juxtaposition confirmed the rivalry between the two. Many artists based later portraits of Hamilton on this bust, which is considered to be the best likeness of him. Here he is shown as a classical, heroic nude, save for the strap crossing his chest. The classical portraiture style was a popular choice for political figures in the 18th and 19th centuries as it reflected the antique portraits of the founders of Western democracy. In 1870, the bust was featured on the thirty-cent U.S. postage stamp.

One of the Founding Fathers of America, Alexander Hamilton was born out of wedlock in the British West Indies in 1757. He came to America at the age of 16 to study, and shortly after entered Kings College (what is now Columbia University). Hamilton became interested in the political atmosphere and favored the Patriot cause, writing his first article on the subject in 1774. He left Kings College to aid the Patriots, joining the military in 1775, and he was later promoted to lieutenant colonel of the Continental Army in 1777. Impressed with Hamilton, General George Washington made him his personal adviser. A few years later Hamilton married Elizabeth Schuyler, the daughter of Philip Schuyler who was a landholder in New York and a military officer. They would have eight children.

After the war, Hamilton passed the bar exam in New York to become a lawyer. He defended Loyalists in several cases, which brought about the judicial review system and principles of due process. He joined other delegates in Philadelphia in 1787 to discuss the Articles of Confederation, which Hamilton deemed the cause of Congress’s weakness. He believed that a strong central government would lead America to independence. He wrote over two-thirds of the 85 essays in “The Federalist,” the rest of which were written by John Jay and James Madison. The essays were published in New York newspapers between 1787 and 1788, and pushed for ratification of the Constitution. Hamilton, with his skills as an orator, led New York to ratifying it during its convention in 1788, and the other eight states later followed.

When Washington became president in 1789, he named Hamilton the first Secretary of the Treasury. He saved the new country from ruin with the monetary policy he created. In 1798 when war with France seemed inevitable, Washington named Hamilton acting commander of the U.S. Army.

During his time as Secretary, Hamilton clashed often with Thomas Jefferson. When Jefferson ran for president in 1800, Hamilton decided Jefferson was better suited than his old enemy, Aaron Burr. Jefferson won and Burr ended up becoming vice president. After Burr ran for the New York governorship four years later and lost, he read a description Hamilton had given of Burr in a newspaper, calling him “unfit” and “dangerous,” and challenged him to a duel. Hamilton agreed and was shot during the altercation, dying from his wounds the next day on July 12, 1804.

 

Artist: Giuseppe Ceracchi

Museum: Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Arkansas 

Time Period: Modern- 1794

1911 Catalog ID # - 5425

 

Sources:

"Alexander Hamilton." Museum accession number 2005.23. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art,
http://collection.crystalbridges.org/objects/189/alexander-hamilton?ctx=1f96bed7-0726-41de-93bc-34914fefb93d&idx=0.

"Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), a Profile." WGBH American Experience,  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/profile-alexander-hamilton-1755-1804/.

"Alexander Hamilton Biography.com." Biography.com,  https://www.biography.com/people/alexander-hamilton-9326481.

Stein, Susan R. The Worlds of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1993, pp. 219. Monticello, https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/alexander-hamilton-bust-sculpture.

Torbert, Amy. "Satisfied: Giuseppe Ceracchi's Bust of Alexander Hamilton." Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, 2015-2016, https://crystalbridges.org/blog/satisfied-giuseppe-caracchis-bust-of-alexander-hamilton/.

"Treasury's Hamilton Bust." U.S. Department of the Treasury,  https://www.treasury.gov/about/history/collections/Pages/Treasury's-Hamilton-Bust.aspx.

Pieces are plaster unless otherwise noted. They are made to order and hand cast. We offer our pieces in a variety of patinas/finishes. Click next tab for more details.

Small and large reliefs (except tabletop pieces as noted) and masks come with one or more embedded hooks for hanging as necessary.

Questions? View the FAQ page for more information and for answers to frequently asked questions. Email us at contact@capronicollection.com or call us at 781-933-2455.

Each piece is custom finished. Depending on a sculpture’s texture and level of detail, the look of a patina can vary. A slight variation in color from order to order is to be expected.

Unless otherwise noted, our reproductions are hand cast in plaster and reinforced with burlap, fiber strands, and/or metal rods for extra strength.

 

FLAT WHITE: A unified, matte white finish. This is the optimum patina for cast drawing as it allows focus on form.

photo of cast of sculpture relief of robed figure, head now missing, reaching for her sandal in Flat White Patina on a dark gray background       

WHITE PATINA: A white finish with a light ivory tone added to the top surfaces.

       

LIGHT ANTIQUE PLASTER: A soft mixture of whites, grays, and yellows to replicate the look of an aged plaster cast.

     

ANTIQUE PLASTER: A dramatic mixture of grays and yellows to replicate the look of an aged plaster cast.

     

BRONZE: A rich brown finish with golden highlights to replicate the look of bronze.

     

STONE: A mixture of lighter tones to resemble natural stone.

 

DARK STONE: A mixture of darker tones to resemble natural stone.

 

SANDSTONE: A soft base color with warm highlights to resemble the look of natural sandstone.

 

TERRA COTTA: A variation of warm tones to resemble terra cotta.

 

ASSYRIAN STONE (Applies only to item numbers 3, 4, 5, 6 and 738): A two-tone patina augmenting the shallow relief sculpture and its stone texture.

TANAGRA PATINA (Applies only to item numbers 317, 318, 319, 320, 396 and 813): A finish that replicates the colors of the Tanagra figurines as shown in the product images.

Most pieces ship within a few days to 3 weeks as they are made to order and hand cast.

Customers in the contiguous United States receive free ground shipping automatically at checkout. Customers located elsewhere can find shipping options in the checkout process.

Pieces must be opened and inspected within 48 hours of delivery to report any damage.

Returns are not accepted; all sales are final as pieces are made to order and hand cast.

View the FAQ page for more information and for answers to frequently asked questions.

Additional Information

Pieces are plaster unless otherwise noted. They are made to order and hand cast. We offer our pieces in a variety of patinas/finishes. Click next tab for more details.

Small and large reliefs (except tabletop pieces as noted) and masks come with one or more embedded hooks for hanging as necessary.

Questions? View the FAQ page for more information and for answers to frequently asked questions. Email us at contact@capronicollection.com or call us at 781-933-2455.

View Patina Options

Each piece is custom finished. Depending on a sculpture’s texture and level of detail, the look of a patina can vary. A slight variation in color from order to order is to be expected.

Unless otherwise noted, our reproductions are hand cast in plaster and reinforced with burlap, fiber strands, and/or metal rods for extra strength.

 

FLAT WHITE: A unified, matte white finish. This is the optimum patina for cast drawing as it allows focus on form.

photo of cast of sculpture relief of robed figure, head now missing, reaching for her sandal in Flat White Patina on a dark gray background       

WHITE PATINA: A white finish with a light ivory tone added to the top surfaces.

       

LIGHT ANTIQUE PLASTER: A soft mixture of whites, grays, and yellows to replicate the look of an aged plaster cast.

     

ANTIQUE PLASTER: A dramatic mixture of grays and yellows to replicate the look of an aged plaster cast.

     

BRONZE: A rich brown finish with golden highlights to replicate the look of bronze.

     

STONE: A mixture of lighter tones to resemble natural stone.

 

DARK STONE: A mixture of darker tones to resemble natural stone.

 

SANDSTONE: A soft base color with warm highlights to resemble the look of natural sandstone.

 

TERRA COTTA: A variation of warm tones to resemble terra cotta.

 

ASSYRIAN STONE (Applies only to item numbers 3, 4, 5, 6 and 738): A two-tone patina augmenting the shallow relief sculpture and its stone texture.

TANAGRA PATINA (Applies only to item numbers 317, 318, 319, 320, 396 and 813): A finish that replicates the colors of the Tanagra figurines as shown in the product images.

Shipping & Returns

Most pieces ship within a few days to 3 weeks as they are made to order and hand cast.

Customers in the contiguous United States receive free ground shipping automatically at checkout. Customers located elsewhere can find shipping options in the checkout process.

Pieces must be opened and inspected within 48 hours of delivery to report any damage.

Returns are not accepted; all sales are final as pieces are made to order and hand cast.

View the FAQ page for more information and for answers to frequently asked questions.