Lot 375: An American Plaster Bust of General Andrew

An American Plaster Bust of General Andrew Jackson, early 19th c., after William Rush (American, 1756-1833), the terracotta original from 1819 in the Burlington County Historical Society, height 26 in., width 20 in., depth 8 1/2 in.

Note: The original terra-cotta bust of Andrew Jackson, of which this is a contemporaneous copy, was considered one of the most accurate likenesses of the hero of the Battle of New Orleans. It was also deemed Rush's masterpiece when it was exhibited in Philadelphia in 1819, at the Ninth Annual Exhibition. Completed during the time Jackson was in Philadelphia, it is not known if the General actually sat for the artist since Rush was known for his ability to faithfully execute sculptures from memory. After the overwhelmingly positive response to this work, Rush created several plaster versions to be sold in Philadelphia and Washington D.C., of which only several are known to still exist. Rush was the son of a ship's carpenter and initially began his career by workin in wood, sculpting figureheads for the masts of ships. He soon expanded, working in terracotta and plaster, but, interestingly, never in marble. Rush was very active in the artistic community in Philadelphia and, along with Charles Willson Peale (1 741-1827), was one of the founders of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1805 In 1810 he was named the 1st President of the Society of Artists, and in 1811 became Professor of Sculpture of that organization. Rush is considered the first major American sculptor. References: Barber, James. Andrew Jackson - A Portrait Study. National Portrait Gallery, Washington D.C., 1991 Marceau, Henri. William Rush. Pennsylvania Museum of Fine Art. Philadelphia, 1937