Greenough studied in Rome from 1826; he became influenced by Bertel Thorvaldsen whom he greatly admired.
In 1832, he received an order from the US Congress for a large statue of George Washington for the Capitol Rotund. When completed, this work caused much of controversy: the classical style did not agree with American taste. The statue was put up in changing localities - today it can be seen at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.