American Art Collaborative

“It is impossible to conceive . . . how much the beauty of a work of art may be enhanced by a judicious arrangement . . . Indeed, when I first saw the statue in their house, I could hardly believe I had made it. This statue has always been a favorite with all, among my works.” Thomas Ball, My Fourscore YearsSaint John the Evangelist was one of the few allegorical sculptures that Thomas Ball made in his life. It was a private commission that Ball agreed to do partly because of his own deep religious faith. The idealized style and white marble present him as a holy, inspired man. Ball took great pride in this statue because his friend Hiram Powers, the most prominent and controversial American sculptor of the day, had said it was his finest work