Capitol Extra! Thomas Jefferson by David d'Angers

Our Curator, Dr. Michele Cohen, is in the Rotunda for #WorldBookDay with the statue that started it all! This statue of Thomas Jefferson was the first full-length portrait statue placed in the U.S Capitol Building.

By AOC Staff | April 23, 2026

Video Transcript

I'm here in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol to tell you some interesting facts about the statue of Thomas Jefferson.

The statue was commissioned by Uriah P. Levy, who was the first Jewish naval officer to rise to the level of Commodore. Levy had a particular affection for Jefferson because of Jefferson's commitment to religious freedom in America.

Jefferson is presented in his most famous moment as the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, which is recreated in the sculpture. And also behind him are two books, which refer to his expansive library, and also suggest the fact that that library was the nucleus for the Library of Congress.

The year that this statue came to the Capitol, 1834, marked the first instance when a bronze made using the lost wax casting method was unveiled in this country. It was cast by Honoré Gonon et ses fils, his sons, in his Paris foundry. And it also represents the first time that the artist, David d'Angers, conceived of this piece to be in bronze, not marble.

The statue of Jefferson is in good company. On one side is the standing portrait statue of George Washington, made after a very famous marble by Houdon, and on the other side is a 20th century portrait bust of Martin Luther King by artist John Wilson.

Thank you for joining me today. Keep watching for another "Capitol Extra!"

Comments

Very interesting, informative, but too short. Tell us more about Jefferson. I rate him higher than Washington and Lincoln, but believe these were our very best, unlike the admins of these later years.