Scenes from America’s Past— The Sculpture of John Rogers

In his charming sculptures of daily life in the mid-19th century, Rogers (1829–1904) made one of the earliest efforts to fashion a distinct image of Americans for Americans. And in acquiring these sculptures in the tens of thousands, Americans demonstrated their broad approval of Rogers’ interpretation of their national personality and character. His scenes of Americana were among those from which later versions of archetypal Americans evolved.