Samuel Houston, plaster, modeled 1893; cast 1902

Samuel Houston, plaster, modeled 1893; cast 1902

Perhaps one of Elisabet Ney's most celebrated Texas works, this sculpture of Sam Houston was originally commissioned by the Texas legislature to be displayed alongside Stephen F. Austin at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. In her artistic rendering, Ney chose to portray Houston as a young frontiersman rather than the elder statesman that many Texans remembered. In a letter that Ney wrote to Houston's daughter, she revealed her desire to capture the young Houston's "youth of vision, energy, enthusiasm, and hopefulness." Ney also strove to create an authentic portrait of the revered Texas leader and used Houtson's original sword as a model. Marble versions of Houston and Austin were later commissioned for the Texas Capitol and the National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C., where they remain today.

Ney, Elisabet, 1833-1907

Elisabet Ney Museum: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/elisabet-ney-museum

1902

For permission to reproduce, please contact the Elisabet Ney Museum: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/elisabet-ney-museum.

Physical Object

Sculpture

Plaster

JPEG

Samuel Houston full figure front B5.jpg

Samuel Houston plaster full fig face detail b5.jpg

Sam Houston full fig plaster left side view b5.jpg