The Republic, 1918
Daniel Chester French
Jackson Park
Hayes (63rd)
and Richards Drives
Best known for his Seated
Lincoln (1922) at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., Daniel Chester
French (1850-1931) was an East Coast sculptor who successfully combined his own
naturalistic style with the Beaux-Arts approach favored by Lorado Taft. Much
admired by Taft and others of his generation, French created the original
version of this work for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, where it stood
over the eastern end of the Grand Basin that filled the Court of Honor. The
original statue was 65-feet tall and stood upon a 35-foot tall pedestal, so
large that it reached well above the cornice line of the surrounding buildings.
Made of staff (reinforced plaster) and partially covered in gold leaf, the
original also featured electric lights in the crown that glowed at night. Like
most of the other buildings and sculptural works, however, it was destroyed at
the end of the fair. This 24-foot high gilded bronze version, based upon the
surviving plaster model, was erected in Jackson Park to commemorate the 25th
anniversary of the fair and the centennial of Illinois statehood. The site
where it stands was the location of the 1893 Exposition’s Administration
building.
A female personification of the “Republic” fashioned
after classical forms, French’s figure holds a globe surmounted by an American
eagle and a pike topped with a liberty cap. A static figure with both feet
planted firmly on the ground, she exudes stability and permanence. Henry Bacon,
architect of the Lincoln Memorial, designed the pedestal for the 1918 statue
and worked with French on many other commissions.
Other works:
Other works:
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