Powers, HIRAM

Powers, HIRAM, American sculptor, was born a farmer's son at Woodstock, Vermont, July 29, 1805. While still a boy he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he became an apprentice to a clock-maker, and about the same time formed the acquaintance of a German sculptor, who taught him to model in clay. Subsequently he was employed for seven years making wax figures and fitting them with machinery for the Cincinnati museum. In 1835 he went to Washington, where he executed the busts of several distinguished persons. Two years later he was enabled to proceed to Italy to study his art, and he resided in Florence till his death on 27th June 1873. There he produced his statue of 'Eve,' which excited the admiration of Thorwaldsen, and in 1843 the still more popular 'Greek Slave,' of which six copies in marble, with cast copies innumerable, were produced. Of his 'Fisher Boy' (1846) three copies were ordered. Among his other works the chief were 'Proserpine,' 'Il Peuseroso,' 'California,' 'America,' and busts of Washington for the state of Louisiana, of Calhoun for South Carolina, and Daniel Webster for Boston, as well as those of J. Q. Adams, Andrew Jackson, Marshall, Van Buren, and other distinguished Americans.