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Photographer: “Architect of the Capitol”
Taken: October 14, 2011
Caption: Uriah Phillips Levy Gift of Thomas Jefferson Statue
Additional Description: The statue of Thomas Jefferson by Pierre-Jean David d’Angers located in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda was the first full-length portrait statue placed in the Capitol. Its bronze medium was unusual in early 19th-century America, where sculpture was more commonly carved in marble. The statue was presented by Uriah Phillips Levy to the Congress in 1834 as a gift to the American people.

Thomas Jefferson is depicted in his best known role as author of the Declaration of Independence. He stands in a dynamic contrapposto pose with his right hand holding a quill pen. The pen’s tip points to Jefferson's left hand, which holds the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson's famous words, which are readable, were created by pressing type into the statue's clay model. Two bound books—perhaps representing the collection that he donated to the Library of Congress—and a wreath, a symbol of victory, lie at his feet. The statue's pedestal is composed of marble and granite, in contrasting colors. The front inscription reads "JEFFERSON."
Submitted: September 28, 2018, by Howard C. Ohlhous of Duanesburg, New York.
Database Locator Identification Number: p447247
File Size: 1.317 Megabytes

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