Charity

The father of the American school of Neoclassical sculptors, Hiram Powers presents the Christian virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity. Basing his designs on ancient imperial portrait busts, he swathed the female personifications in simple Greco-Roman drapery. Their uniformly smooth facial features and dignified, calm expressions are typical of Powers’ “ideal heads.” Only the Christian attributes displayed in their hair distinguish them from one another: Faith wears a crown decorated with a cross, Charity radiates the flame of divine love, and Hope displays an anchor, a symbol of steadfastness.

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