Rossini Bust - Tower Grove Park - St. Louis, MO
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member YoSam.
N 38° 36.443 W 090° 15.320
15S E 738993 N 4276782
"One thing I believe I can assure you: that of my works, the second act of Guglielmo Tell, the third act of Otello, and all of il Barbiere di Siviglia will certainly endure." ~ Rossini
Waymark Code: WMMQ1Y
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 10/23/2014
Published By:Groundspeak Charter Member BruceS
Views: 2
Download this waymark:
.GPX File
.LOC File
.KML File (Google Earth)

County of bust: St. Louis Independent City
Location of bust: Center Circle, Tower Grove Park, St. Louis
Artist: Unknown - replica of Howard S. Kretschmar, 1845-1933
Architect: George Ingham Barnett, 1815-1898

Proper Description: "Bust of Rossini featuring a gilded inscription. Bust rests on a pedestal consisting of a limestone capital atop a polished Missouri red granite column on a limestone base."
Smithsonian American Art Museum

Remarks: "This bust is a replacement of the original marble bust that was commissioned by Henry Shaw and made in 1882 by Howard S. Kretschmar (see IAS 76001110). Shaw funded the original at a cost of $725. This replacement bust sits on the original pedestal, which was designed by George Ingham Barnett." ~ Smithsonian American Art Museum"

"Kretschmar began carving at fifteen and continued while working as a bookkeeper. After four years of study abroad, he became the first professor of sculpture at Washington University. In later life, he changed careers, studied osteopathy, and practiced outside of Chicago." ~ rac.stl.org-public art

"Henry Shaw wanted fine music and works of art in his Tower Grove Park, so he hired architects to build cupola-covered bandstands and commissioned artists to produce sculptures, including marble busts of his favorite composers–Mozart, Rossini, Wagner, Beethoven, Gounod and Verdi. Busts of Sullivan and Donizetti were planned for the last two pedestals, but Shaw passed away before they could be produced, so simple marble spheres took their place. Beginning in 1873, Shaw provided free Sunday concerts during summer months, featuring at least one piece by one of the composers represented on the busts." ~ rac.stl.org-public art

TITLE: Rossini Bust

ARTIST(S): Copy of Howard S. Kretschmar

DATE: 1992

MEDIUM: Bust: Composite stone - Pedestal: limestone and polished Missouri red granite.

CONTROL NUMBER: IAS MO000265

Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link]

PHYSICAL LOCATION:
On the lawn surrounding the music pavilion, which is situated a little north of the statues of Shakespeare and Humboldt, and about midway between them, are the white marble replacement busts of the famous musical composers:

DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH:
None noted but: The badly deteriorated original busts were put in storage at the park in 1992 and replaced with the replica composite stone sculptures that are on view today. Several of the original pieces are on view in the Piper Palm House in Tower Grove Park.
Visit Instructions:
Please give the date of your visit, your impressions of the sculpture, and at least ONE ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH. Add any additional information you may have, particularly any personal observations about the condition of the sculpture.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
Date Logged Log  
kJfishman visited Rossini Bust - Tower Grove Park - St. Louis, MO 06/03/2017 kJfishman visited it