General Winfield Scott Hancock 1880 - 1886

J. Wilson Alexander MacDonald sculpted this bronze bust of General Winfield Scott Hancock, though the precise date remains unconfirmed. It commemorates the controversial Civil War hero and Democratic presidential nominee. The image invites us to consider the politics of public imagery in post-Civil War America. MacDonald has rendered Hancock in heroic fashion, with a direct gaze and confident posture. Yet, the sculpture also evokes the deep divisions that still afflicted American society. Hancock, though a Union general, was perceived by many as sympathetic to the South. This sculpture can be contextualized within institutional histories, reflecting the ways in which museums and public monuments have shaped historical memory. Was the work commissioned, and if so, by whom? To fully understand this sculpture, we need to investigate the social and political climate in which it was created. Historical archives, newspapers, and biographical accounts can reveal the complex meanings that this image held for its contemporaries.