The Arts of War: Sacrifice, (sculpture).

The Arts of War: Sacrifice, (sculpture).

Friedlander, Leo, 1888-1966, sculptor.

Tonelli, V., carver.

Fuse Marinelli, founder.

McKim, Mead & White, architectural firm.

The Arts of War: Sacrifice, (sculpture).

Sacrifice, (sculpture).

Commissioned 1929. Modeled 1941-1944. Cast 1950. Installed June 1951. Dedicated Sept. 26, 1951.

Digital Reference:

Sculpture: gilded bronze; Base: granite.

Sculpture: approx. 17 x 12 x 17 ft.; Base: approx. 18 x 15 x 18 ft.

(Sculpture, rear right side near base:) LEO FRIEDLANDER (Sculpture, rear left side near base:) FOUNDARIE MARNELI FIRENZE (Front of base:) SACRIFICE/LEO FRIEDLANDER/SCULPTOR/CAST IN BRONZE MILAN 1950/A GIFT FROM THE PEOPLE OF ITALY/TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES signed Founder's mark appears.

One of two equestrian statues which flank the entrance to the bridge. Each statue depicts a nude male rider symbolic of the nation's defensive power. In Sacrifice, the male rider represents Mars, a symbol for the country's manpower. A nude female figure representing Mother Earth stands on the proper right of the rider. Her back is against the side of the horse. She looks up toward the rider. A small child is sandwiched between the back of the female figure's shoulders and the proper right leg of the rider. The rider reaches out to the child. The female figure reaches up with her proper right hand to hold the proper right arm of the child. A bit of drapery is wrapped around the back of the child and down over the proper left leg of the female figure. The base is adorned with a row of 36 stars which represent the number of states at the end of the Civil War. On the front of the base is a carved wreath.

Figure group -- Nude

Allegory -- Civic -- Military

Allegory -- Civic -- Patriotism

Outdoor Sculpture -- District of Columbia -- Washington

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

Located Arlington Memorial Bridge, East Entrance, Lincoln Memorial Circle, Washington, District of Columbia

This sculpture and its companion, "Valor" (IAS DC000033), were commissioned in 1929 originally in Mt. Airy granite per McKim, Mead & White's overall designs for Memorial Bridge. Although the artist had completed his 1916 study for "Valor" in bronze, when he received the commission for the Arlington Bridge sculptures, he translated his composition into stone and then designed the companion, "Sacrifice," in stone as well.

Several plaster studies had to be made before the sculptures could gain government approval. In the meantime, funding for the sculptures was impounded under the Economy Act of 1933. When the funds were released, the cost of granite and carving had increased beyond what had been appropriated, so in 1941, the National Park Service changed the medium to bronze. The artist had to redesign his sculptures for bronze and again create plaster models. By the time full-size plastilene models were complete in 1944, the country was in the midst of World War II and since bronze was a critical war material, the execution of the sculptures was delayed again until after the War.

In 1946, the sculptures were cast in plaster and transferred to the U.S. government's warehouse in New York. By then it was 1947 and the cost of bronze was twice what it had been before the War, making the cost of the sculptures higher than what was originally appropriated. Finally, in 1949, Italy agreed to cast the sculptures as a gift to the U. S. in appreciation for post-war aid. The sculptures were cast in Italy and gilded using the rare "mercury gilding" process. The wreath on the base was carded by V. Tonelli, a local stonecarver.

IAS files contain a related article from National Sculpture Review (Fall 1968): pg. 22-24 and an unidentified excerpt entitled "Sculpture on a Grand Scale: Works from the Studio of Leo Friedlander" which includes photographs of the installation of the sculptures. For related articles see: Washington Post, Aug. 27, 1949; Washington Post, Sept. 10, 1951; Washington Star, May 11, 1951; Washington Star, Sept. 27, 1961; and New York Times, May 13, 1951.

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. 403.

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, K-10.

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

Control Number:

Horizon Information Portal 3.25_9382

Powered by SirsiDynix

About | © 2020 Smithsonian | Terms of Use | Privacy | Contact

SIRIS - Smithsonian Institution Research Information System