Existing comment:
James Madison, 1751-1836
Walker Hancock, born 1901
Plastiline model, 1973
In 1972, sculptor Walker Hancock was selected to create the marble statue of James Madison for the new Library of Congress building. The contract stipulated that it be "of such size that if the figure of James Madison were erect it would be approximately nine feet tall," and represent Madison "seated in an appropriately designed chair." After consulting with author/historian Catherine Drinker Bowen and those concerned with the commission, Hancock decided to portray Madison as a vigorous, young man of thirty-two, the age at which he compiled the lists of books "proper for the use of Congress." The Louis XVI chair and the style of Madison's costume are, of course, contemporary.
Hancock first created a one-sixth size sketch model to study the feasibility of the pose, and shortly thereafter he prepared a one-third size scale model. This was cast in plaster in triplicate. One copy was sent to be enlarged for the final piece, Hancock retained one copy, and the third cast is on view. The plaster was applied over wire mesh now rusting through in spots, as on Madison's left hand.
The sculptor used many sources for Madison's likeness, including oil portraits by Charles Willson Peale, Gilbert Stuart, and John Trumbull, as well as a life mask by JHI Browere done in 1825. While working on the statue's expression and pose, Hancock "found it hard to image [Madison] in this situation without a book ready for reference." After some research, Hancock decided to use the first book on Madison's list for the proposed congressional library -- volume 83 of Diderot's Encyclopedie Methodique, dealing with economics, politics, and diplomacy. |