Description
Standing figure of Daniel Webster, facing forward with head turned slightly to left. High prominent forehead, deep set eyes and stern mouth. Subject is depicted wearing a tail coat, with his right hand tucked into his coat above his waist. A draped architectural element is depicted to the right of the subject along with two books; the drapery over the architectural element continues around the rear of the base behind the figure. Incised on back of base: T Ball Sculpt / Boston Mass / 1853.
Daniel Webster (1782- 1852), American Statesman, was born in Salisbury, New Hampshire. Aspiring to but never attaining the Presidency of the United States, Webster's political career included terms as a Congressman, Senator, and Secretary of State. His eloquence as a speaker and writer, however, earned him the widest renown.
This statuette is a replica of a figure modelled by Thomas Ball (1819-1911), son of a Charlestown, Massachusetts, house and sign painter. Art dealer C.W. Nichols obtained the copyright to reproduce this popular statuette, making it one of the earliest examples of mass-produced American sculpture.