| Preston Powers | |
| Birth Date: | 1843 |
| Birth Place: | Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany |
| Death Date: | 1931 |
| Death Place: | Florence, Italy |
| Field: | American sculptor, painter, and teacher |
| Works: | statue The Closing of an Era at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver |
Preston Powers (1843 – 1931) was an American sculptor, painter, and teacher, born in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany. He is also known as William Preston Powers.[1]
Powers studied with his father, Hiram Powers, a well known Neo-classical sculptor [2] and expatriate who lived in Italy. After returning to the United States, the younger Powers worked as an artist in Boston Massachusetts, Washington, D.C., and Portland Maine.[3] Powers eventually became his father's personal secretary, a position he held until Hiram Powers' death in 1873. Preston sued his mother for inadequate support after the details of his father's will became known, as it declared his widow as sole heir. In order to keep peace within the family, Preston Powers was made the supervisor of Hiram Powers' studio-workshop, which eventually closed in 1877. He later operated his own studio across the street from his mother's house but insisted on harassing her with additional lawsuits.[4] Preston Powers died penniless in Florence, Italy, and was buried in the pauper's section of the Allori Protestant Cemetery located outside the city.[5] [6]
Powers' statue The Closing of an Era at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver depicts an American Indian in triumph over a fallen bison. The granite for the statue came from Fremont County, Colorado. The sculpture was completed for the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. Powers' friend John Greenleaf Whittier wrote the poem inscribed at the base of the monument.[7]
Preston Powers sculpted several portrait busts; some of his most notable creations include:[8]
His students include Alice Cooper and Elsie Ward.