''William King'' is an 1878

marble sculpture Marble has been the preferred material for stone monumental sculpture since ancient times, with several advantages over its more common geological "parent" limestone, in particular the ability to absorb light a small distance into the surface be ...

depicting Maine's first governor of the same name by

Franklin Simmons Franklin Bachelder Simmons (January 11, 1839 – December 8, 1913) was a prominent American sculptor of the nineteenth century. Three of his statues are in the National Statuary Hall Collection, three of his busts are in the United States Senat ...

, installed in the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill ...

, in Washington, D.C., as part of the

National Statuary Hall Collection The National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol is composed of statues donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history. Limited to two statues per state, the collection was originally set up in the old ...

. It is one of two statues donated by the state of

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and nor ...

. The statue was accepted in the collection by Senator

Hannibal Hamlin Hannibal Hamlin (August 27, 1809 – July 4, 1891) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 15th vice president of the United States from 1861 to 1865, during President Abraham Lincoln's first term. He was the first Republic ...

(who himself became the subject of Maine's second entry to the Collection) and Senator

James G. Blaine James Gillespie Blaine (January 31, 1830January 27, 1893) was an American statesman and Republican politician who represented Maine in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1863 to 1876, serving as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representati ...

on January 22, 1878, who rhapsodized upon the occasion, “He restrained the wrath of the impudent, quickened the zeal of the laggard, dissipated the fears of the doubting and molded his adherents and followers into a compact, cooperative, effective force . . . . He, more than any other man created the State of Maine.” The work is one of the few in the Collection done in an overtly neo-classical style, with King's cloak serving as much as a toga as anything else. Simmons, upon being commissioned to create a

Roger Williams Roger Williams (21 September 1603between 27 January and 15 March 1683) was an English-born New England Puritan minister, theologian, and author who founded Providence Plantations, which became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantatio ...

statue for Rhode Island moved to Rome where both good marble and good assistants were cheaply found, then moved there permanently so his King statue would have been made there. Sculptor and critic

Lorado Taft Lorado Zadok Taft (April 29, 1860, in Elmwood, Illinois – October 30, 1936, in Chicago) was an American sculptor, writer and educator. His 1903 book, ''The History of American Sculpture,'' was the first survey of the subject and stood for deca ...

found the King statue “well poised” but “with little vivacity or charm of modeling.” He then notes the severe treatment of the drapery.”Taft, Lorado, ''History of American Sculpture'', The MacMillan Company, New York, 1903, revised with new matter, 1925, p. 248

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External links

* {{Portal bar, Visual arts, United States 1878 establishments in Washington, D.C. 1878 sculptures Marble sculptures in Washington, D.C. Monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C. King, William Sculptures of men in Washington, D.C. Governor of Maine

See also

References

External links