General John Fulton Reynolds, (sculpture).

General John Fulton Reynolds, (sculpture).

Rogers, John H., 1829-1904, sculptor.

Bureau Brothers, founder.

General John Fulton Reynolds, (sculpture).

Major General John Fulton Reynolds, (sculpture).

ca. 1883. Cast 1883. Dedicated Sept. 18, 1884.

Digital Reference:

Sculpture: bronze; Base: granite.

Sculpture: approx. 10 x 5 x 10 ft.; Base: approx. 10 x 6 x 11 ft. (3 1/2 tons).

(Base, front:) SEPTEMBER 21, 1820/GETTYSBURG (Base, back:) JULY 1, 1863/SEPTEMBER 18, 1884 (Base, left side:) REYNOLDS

Portrait of Major General John Fulton Reynolds astride his horse at the front of the battlefield as he was on the first day of the battle of Gettysburg. His frightened horse is rearing back on its hind legs with its front left hoof raised. Both the General and his horse look off to the proper right. The General's proper right arm is raised and with his index finger he points out into the distance toward the danger in the battlefield. His proper left hand holds firmly onto the reins and both of his feet are in the stirrups. The General is depicted with a beard and moustache and is dressed in his Union Army uniform which consists of a long belted jacket, tall boots, and a small circular cap. A sword rests at his proper left side and a small bag is slung across his body and rests on his proper left hip. This equestrian sculpture sits atop a rectangular base.

Portrait male -- Reynolds, John Fulton -- Full length

History -- United States -- Civil War

Occupation -- Military -- General

Dress -- Uniform -- Military Uniform

Object -- Weapon -- Sword

Outdoor Sculpture -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia

Administered by City of Philadelphia, Department of Public Property, Municipal Services Building, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107

Located City Hall, North Plaza, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvanian, Major General John Fulton Reynolds was killed in 1863 at Gettysburg by a sharpshooter's bullet. Eighteen years later, on July 1, 1881, the Reynolds Monument Association was formed. Philadelphian, Joseph Temple offered 25,000 dollars to create the monument commemorating the General and Pennsylvania's participation in the Civil War. Former Governor Curtin pledged 5,000 dollars for the pedestal and a cannon. The artist, John Rogers, who was known for his small-scale sculpture, had never attempted a sculpture of this size and had to study up on the anatomy of horses and photographs of Reynolds. His plaster model was broken into thirty pieces for casting. Rogers paid 15,000 dollars for the casting of the piece. It is said to be Philadelphia's first equestrian statue and its first public monument to a Civil War soldier. The dedication took place on Grand Army Day in 1884.

Index of American Sculpture, University of Delaware, 1985

City of Philadelphia, 1973.

Fairmount Park Art Assoc., "Sculpture of a City: Philadelphia's Treasures in Bronze & Stone," NY: Walker Publ., 1974, pg. 149.

Wallace, David H., "John Rogers: The People's Sculptor," Middletown, Conn., Wesleyan Univ. Press, 1967, #164.

Bach, Penny Balkin, "Public Art in Philadelphia," Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1992, pg. 258.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia survey, 1993.

Fairmount Park Art Assoc., "Sculpture of a City: Philadelphia's Treasures in Bronze & Stone," NY: Walker Publ., 1974, pg. 149.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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