Isaac Newton Phelps 1854 - 1855

This marble bust depicts Isaac Newton Phelps, and it was created by Chauncey Bradley Ives. During the 19th century in America, institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art collected and displayed sculptures like this one. They served to commemorate leading citizens and also to demonstrate the cultural aspirations of the United States. Here, Phelps is represented in a classical style, draped with fabric in the manner of a Roman senator. This was a popular visual code for associating contemporary figures with the virtues and gravitas of the ancient world. Portraits like this one reflect the tastes and values of a particular social class, especially wealthy merchants, bankers, and industrialists. The bust survives as a reminder of the ways in which art is caught up in a web of social and institutional practices, and it’s through careful attention to historical archives that the meanings of this artwork will be revealed.