General Winfield Scott Hancock

1880, cast ca. 1886
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 774
Hancock (1824-1886) graduated from West Point in 1844 in the same class with Ulysses S. Grant and Stonewall Jackson. He won lasting fame as one of the great Civil War soldiers for his part in the Union victory at Gettysburg in 1863. In 1880 Hancock was nominated as the Democratic candidate for president, but was narrowly defeated by James A. Garfield. That year MacDonald took a life mask of Hancock and, using it as a model, created this heroic bronze portrait. The herm-form bust is undraped except for a ribbon that crosses the chest, signaling military distinction. An over-life-size version was presented to the City of New York by the veterans of Hancock Post, Number 259. It was dedicated in 1893 and is located at the confluence of Manhattan and St. Nicholas Avenues at 124th Street.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: General Winfield Scott Hancock
  • Artist: J. Wilson Alexander MacDonald (1824–1908)
  • Date: 1880, cast ca. 1886
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: 26 1/2 x 17 x 11 in. (67.3 x 43.2 x 27.9 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Benjamin H. Field, 1886
  • Object Number: 86.4
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.