John Crookshanks King (1806-1882), British
John Quincy Adams, 1845 (cast 1863)
BRONZE , 19 inches high

In the wake of the Civil War, it would have been difficult to look back on the political career of John Quincy Adams without amazement at his foresight. As the country's sixth president, Adams favored a strong federal govern­ment over states' rights, and he later adamantly opposed the gag rule that forbad Congress from discussing slavery during the 18303 and 18408. John Crookshanks King's depiction portrays Adams as a strong, proud figure. The original marble version of the work is displayed in the Capitol in Washington. Recognized as among King's finest works, his sculpture of Adams gained new popular­ity during the Civil War years in the form of replicas such as the Athenaeum's cast.