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Friedlander, Leo,
Tonelli, V.,
McKim, Mead & White,
Fonderia Battaglia,
Figure group -- Nude
Equestrian
Allegory -- Civic
Allegory -- Civic
Allegory -- Quality
Outdoor Sculpture -- District of Columbia -- Washington
Sculpture
The Arts of War: Valor, (sculpture).
Artist:
Friedlander, Leo, 1888-1966, sculptor.
Tonelli, V., carver.
McKim, Mead & White, architectural firm.
Fonderia Battaglia, founder.
Title:
The Arts of War: Valor, (sculpture).
Other Titles:
Valor, (sculpture).
Dates:
Original modeled 1916. Commissioned 1929. Modeled 1941-1944. Cast 1950. Installed June 1951. Dedicated Sept. 26, 1951.
Digital Reference:
Medium:
Sculpture: gilded bronze; Base: granite.
Dimensions:
Sculpture: approx. 17 x 12 x 17 ft.; Base: approx. 18 x 15 x 18 ft.
Inscription:
(Sculpture, rear left side near base:) LEO FRIEDLANDER (Sculpture, rear right side near base:) FONDERIA ARTISTICA BATTAGLIA EC MILANO ITALIA (Front of base:) VALOR/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.
Description:
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 Valor, a nude female figure representing the strong spirit of Americans walks on the proper left of the rider. A shield is attached to her proper left arm which swing back behind her. Her proper right arm is raised up toward the rider. A cape is draped behind her. 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.
Subject:
Figure group -- Nude
Equestrian
Allegory -- Civic -- Military
Allegory -- Civic -- Patriotism
Allegory -- Quality -- Fortitude
Object Type:
Outdoor Sculpture -- District of Columbia -- Washington
Sculpture
Owner:
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
Remarks:
This sculpture and its companion, "Sacrifice" (IAS 76009562), 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.
References:
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.
Illustration:
Image on file.
Note:
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.
Repository:
Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
Control Number:
IAS DC000033
Copy/Holding information
Smithsonian AmericanArt Museum
Control Number
Inventory of American Sculpture
DC000033
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