Equestrian statue of George Washington (Paris)

George Washington
George Washington by French and Potter in Paris
Artist
Year1900 (1900), dedicated July 3, 1900 (1900-07-03)
MediumBronze sculpture
SubjectGeorge Washington
LocationPlace d'Iéna, Paris
Coordinates48°51′53″N 2°17′38″E / 48.86472°N 2.29389°E / 48.86472; 2.29389

George Washington is a 1900 outdoor bronze equestrian statue by the American sculptors Daniel Chester French and Edward Clark Potter located in the center of the Place d'Iéna in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. The statue of George Washington was sculpted by French and the horse by Potter.[1] It was dedicated on July 3, 1900, 125 years after General Washington took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Massachusetts, on July 3, 1775, during the American Revolutionary War.[2] A gift from the women of America, the statue was presented to the city by the Daughters of the American Revolution.[3][4]

History

The Association of American Women for the Presentation of a Statue of Washington to France was incorporated in 1897. They sought to erect the statue in time for the Paris Exposition of 1900.[5] Later that year, after the Association had raised the necessary funds, French started work on the statue at his studio, Chesterwood, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Potter provided the horse for Washington.[2]

Description

Washington is dressed in full military uniform.[3] He holds a sword up in the air with his right hand and the reins of the horse in his left hand. Washington's head is modeled after a life-cast by the French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon.[6] The statue was cast by the Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company in New York City. The pedestal was designed by the American architect Charles F. McKim and made from Milford granite and Knoxville marble.[1]

  • Profile view
  • Statue on the pedestal

The inscription, in French, is on the base of the pedestal, facing the Guimet Museum.[7][8]

French inscription

Offert par les femmes des États-Unis d'Amérique en mémoire de l’amitié et l'aide fraternelle données par la France à leurs pères pendant leur lutte pour l'indépendance

Translation:
English translation

Given by the women of the United States of America in memory of the friendship and brotherly aid given by France to their ancestors during their battle for independence

  • French inscription on the pedestal
  • Statue and Guimet Museum in Place d'Iéna

Replica

A replica of the statue, also known as the George Washington Monument or the George Washington Memorial, was dedicated on June 4, 1904, at the entrance to Washington Park in Chicago. It was cast in 1903 by the Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company.[6][9] The Chicago philanthropist Charles L. Hutchinson was inspired to install a statue of Washington in the park after he saw the original at French's studio. He then led the effort to fund the project.[10][11]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "A Franco-American Fete; Equestrian Statue of Washington Unveiled in Paris. The Gift of American Women". The New York Times. July 4, 1900. p. 6.
  2. ^ a b Holzer, Harold (2019). "A New Century". Monument Man: The Life and Art of Daniel Chester French. Princeton Architectural Press. pp. 185–188. ISBN 978-1616897536. LCCN 2018007925.
  3. ^ a b "The Washington Statue; Gift of the Daughters of the American Revolution to the City of Paris Arrives". The New York Times. June 21, 1900. p. 6.
  4. ^ "George Washington Equestrian Statue". Daughters of the American Revolution.
  5. ^ "A Gift to France. Women of America to Erect in Paris an Equestrian Statue of Washington". The Baltimore Sun. May 28, 1897. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b "George Washington Memorial, (sculpture)". Inventory of American Sculpture, Smithsonian Institution Research Information System. Smithsonian American Art Museum.
  7. ^ "Statue équestre de Washington" (PDF). Dates clés et lieux de mémoire en France (PDF) (in French). Embassy of the United States, Paris. December 2025. p. 30.
  8. ^ "The NSDAR in France: Monuments and Landmarks" (PDF). Daughters of the American Revolution – Rochambeau Chapter. February 2014. p. 9.
  9. ^ "Washington (George Washington Monument)". Chicago Park District.
  10. ^ "In the Field of Art. Washington in Chicago". Chicago Tribune. June 5, 1904. p. 26.
  11. ^ "Cultural Affairs and Special Events: Description of Existing Monuments". City of Chicago. George Washington
  • Media related to Equestrian statue of George Washington in Paris at Wikimedia Commons
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