Walt Whitman

This is a small but powerful portrait. The prominent forehead suggests the poet’s intellect; the searching eyes, his strong but compassionate nature. Walt Whitman (1819-1892) was an abolitionist and served as a nurse in the Civil War. The shallow pupils of the eyes and the softly rounded edges of the eyelids contribute to the impression of a dreamer and seer. Deft modeling captures the fluffy, tangled look of Whitman’s enormous beard. On the day after Whitman died, Thomas Eakins and Samuel Murray made casts of the poet’s face, shoulders, and right hand. As Murray explained, “Someday there might be a statue and the mask in this case would be invaluable.” Neither artist ever received a commission, but Murray made this portrait in honor of Whitman. In anticipation of its popularity he copyrighted the design before sending a bronze cast to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.