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California

Hiram Powers American
1850–55, carved 1858
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 760
The California gold rush inspired Powers to produce an allegory of gold mining. Originally planned to have discernibly Native accessories, the figure alludes to the damaging effects of mining on Indigenous land and lifeways. In the final version, she holds a miner’s wand that partially shields her nudity and points to faceted quartz crystals, in which gold was often found. The thorny branch clutched in her right hand evokes the moral “all is not gold that glitters.”

“For her to be a representation of both the gold rush and also claim that she is an Indigenous female is extremely fraught.” Christine Garnier, art historian, Audioguide 4029

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: California
  • Artist: Hiram Powers (American, Woodstock, Vermont 1805–1873 Florence)
  • Date: 1850–55, carved 1858
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Marble
  • Dimensions: 71 x 18 1/4 x 24 3/4 in. (180.3 x 46.4 x 62.9 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of William Backhouse Astor, 1872
  • Object Number: 72.3
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

Audio

Cover Image for 4341. California

4341. California

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