In 1775 the British government was not the limited monarchy we know today. The King was in charge of the executive branch of the government and his duties and powers corresponded, roughly, to those the President now handles in the United States. ... Political parties as we understand them today had yet to be born. England was split into four or five factions,
some revolving around a noble Lord such as Marquis of Rockingham, some around a class (the country squires) and roughly on-third of Parliament around the King who, through his executive power, had innumerable jobs, from cabinet post to lucrative sinecures, to dispense among those who supported him.
Jean-Antoine Houdon (1741—1828)
Plaster, painted to resemble terra cotta; cast about 1788; 27 3/4 x 19 1/8 x 12 in. (70.485 x 48.5775 x 30.48 cm).
Cast when Marquis de Lafayette was 28.
Based on the life mask cast by Houdon in 1785.
Marble. State Artwork Collection, Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA.
Terra cotta patinated plaster. Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Monticello, Charlottesville, VA.
Plaster. The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, NY.
Based on the life mask cast by Houdon when he visited Mount Vernon in 1785.
Based on the life mask cast by Houdon when he visited Mount Vernon in 1785.
Now We Are Enemies: The Story of Bunker Hill (1960; reissued 2010)