Andrew Jackson

Hiram Powers

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

When Andrew Jackson (1767–1845) sat for Powers at the White House, he requested that the sculptor not idealize his aging facial features: "Make me as I am. . . . It’s the only safe rule to follow." This highly realistic portrait of a president with a controversial legacy reflects both of Jackson’s sobriquets: King Andrew, for his imperial style of governing, specifically his exploitation of Native American peoples, and Old Hickory, for his unbending strength and determination in the name of a populist political agenda. The bust was carved in marble in Florence, Italy, where Powers had settled permanently in 1837.

The American Wing

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The American Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works of art by African American, Euro American, Latin American, and Native American men and women. Ranging from the colonial to early-modern periods, the holdings include painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts—including furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, basketry, quill and bead embroidery—as well as historical interiors and architectural fragments.

Metropolitan Museum of Art