Equestrian of Simon Bolivar, (sculpture).

Equestrian of Simon Bolivar, (sculpture).

De Weldon, Felix George Weihs, 1907-2003, sculptor.

Malaussena, Luis, architect.

Bedi-Rassy Art Foundry, founder.

Favrat, Reed, Mathes, and Bergman, architectural firm.

Faulkner, Kingsbury and Stenhouse, architectural firm.

Casielles Asociados, engineering firm.

Charles H. Tompkins Company, contractor.

Equestrian of Simon Bolivar, (sculpture).

Simon Bolivar, the Liberator, (sculpture).

General Simon Bolivar, (sculpture).

Dedicated February 27, 1959.

Sculpture: bronze; Base: black granite from Brazil or black Swedish marble.

Sculpture: approx. 27 ft. x 96 in. x 208 in.; Base: approx. 142 x 72 x 184 in. (8 tons).

Felix W. de Weldon / Arch. Faulkner, Kingsbury & Stenhouse (Front of base:) SIMON BOLIVAR/THE LIBERATOR/BORN JULY 24 1783/CARACAS VENEZUELA/DIED DECEMBER 17 1830/SANTA MARTA COLOMBIA (Base, east side:) THE REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (Base, west side:) LIBERATED VENEZUELA COLOMBIA ECUADOR PERU BOLIVIA AND PANAMA signed

General Simon Bolivar rides his horse with his proper right arm raised up over his head. In his proper right hand he holds up his sword. He is dressed in his military uniform complete with the gold medal, once belonging to George Washington, presented to Bolivar by Lafayette. The sculpture rests on a rectangular stone base installed in the middle of a plaza adorned with a reflecting pool and landscaped walkways.

Portrait male -- Bolivar, Simon -- Full length

Ethnic -- Venezuelan

Occupation -- Political

Occupation -- Military -- General

Object -- Weapon -- Sword

Outdoor Sculpture -- District of Columbia -- Washington

Administered by United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Washington, District of Columbia

Located 18th Street at C Street & Virginia Avenue, N.W., Washington, District of Columbia

Simon Bolivar (1783-1830) was known as the George Washington of South America for his activities both political and military which included liberating Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Chile from Spanish rule. This statue was authorized by an act of Congress on July 5, 1949. On June 29, 1955 Congress permitted the sculpture to be installed on public land. The sculpture was donated by the Venezuelan government and the installation of the sculpture was paid for by Venezuela.

IAS files contain an excerpt from Jannelle Warren-Findley's Aug. 1, 1985 report for the National Park Service entitled, "A Guide to Selected Statues, Monuments and Memorials," National Capital Parks - Central, National Park Service, Washington, D.C. (RFQ 3-4-1919) which includes a brief maintenance history, a list of bibliographic sources, and notes to additional information found in National Park Service files. The report also notes that many sources identify the base medium as Swedish granite, but that the sculptor remembered Venezuela wanted the granite to come from South America. The architectural firm of Faulkner, Kingsbury and Stenhouse were the local representatives for the Venezuelan architect Luis Malaussena and the New Orleans architectural firm of Favrat, Reed, Mathes, and Bergman. The sculpture was cast in New York, but was broken into parts for the trip down to Washington. Sources differ on the number of parts, but the National Park Service report notes that the sculptor has said only the neck, head, and rider were removed to clear the overpasses along the highways. IAS files also contain an article from the Sunday Star Magazine (District of Columbia), July 22, 1956 which includes photographs of the sculptor working on the model.

Index of American Sculpture, University of Delaware, 1985

Goode, James M., "The Outdoor Sculpture of Washington, D.C., A Comprehensive Historical Guide," Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1974, pg. 470-471.

Smithsonian Institution Research Expeditions Volunteer Project, 1991.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, District of Columbia survey, 1993.

Michael Richman, SAAM curatorial assistant, 1967-1969.

Goode, James M., "The Outdoor Sculpture of Washington, D.C., A Comprehensive Historical Guide," Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1974, M-26.

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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