Daniel Webster

Clark Mills, born near Syracuse, NY 1810-died Washington, DC 1883 · 1847

The strange language that you see in the quote above refers to the fashion during the nineteenth century for phrenology, in which the shape of a person’s skull was thought to reveal his or her character. Daniel Webster won fame as a lawyer during the 1820s and was venerated as one of the greatest public speakers of his time. He was a Massachusetts senator and a fierce supporter of the Union during the states’ rights controversy. Clark Mills created this life mask in 1847, when the politician was fifty-five years old. The stately pose and thoughtful expression of the figure reflect how he might have looked during an intense debate or public address.