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Signs reference the artist and his profession, while the tools of his trade sit on the floor near his hoof. To the right of the composition, a cupid figure sits on the floor in shock, the traditional tools of sculptor scattered around him along with a classical marble bust. The inclusion of this figure perhaps symbolizes what many artists, including Dunlap and Blythe, felt about Browere’s techniques, believing through utilizing his “new” technique that he was blatantly disregarding the rich classical past of sculpture as an art form, turning his back on the traditional techniques in favor of his plaster casting method.
Attributed to
William Dunlap
(1766 - 1839)
Attributed to
David Gilmore Blythe
(1815 - 1865)
Caricature of J. H. I. Browere
Dateafter 1827
MediumOil on board
DimensionsFramed: 19 3/4 × 24 13/16 × 2 in. (50.2 × 63 × 5.1 cm)
Sight: 14 3/4 × 19 3/4 in. (37.5 × 50.2 cm)
Object numberN0005.2018
Credit LineCollection of the Fenimore Art Museum. Museum Purchase
Photograph by Richard Walker
Label TextIn this satirical scene, the artist, John Henry Isaac Browere—known for his busts of notable American politicians created through plaster casts—is depicted as a satyr attacking a woman by shoving wet plaster into her face, an action reminiscent of pieing someone in the face. This references the rumors which circulated in 1825, regarding Browere’s mistreatment of Thomas Jefferson while taking his likeness, a rumor later disputed by Jefferson himself. Signs reference the artist and his profession, while the tools of his trade sit on the floor near his hoof. To the right of the composition, a cupid figure sits on the floor in shock, the traditional tools of sculptor scattered around him along with a classical marble bust. The inclusion of this figure perhaps symbolizes what many artists, including Dunlap and Blythe, felt about Browere’s techniques, believing through utilizing his “new” technique that he was blatantly disregarding the rich classical past of sculpture as an art form, turning his back on the traditional techniques in favor of his plaster casting method.
On View
Not on viewc. 1850-1870
c. 1960-1969
c. 1918-1922
