The Pioneers - Baton Rouge, LA - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

"A group of figures, each representing one of Louisiana's contributing cultures, surrounding the figure of a large woman, representing the spirit of Adventure. She stands atop a treasure chest with an array of Louisiana's native fruits and vegetables at her feet. Some of the figures surrounding her are the explorers Desoto and LaSalle, as well as Jesuit and Fransiscan clergy, a Spanish conquistador, French settlers, and a man in a coonskin cap."
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"The Pioneers statue pays tribute to the Native Americans who originally inhabited the region: the French and Spanish colonists who explored the area in the 17th and 18th centuries and the Americans who made their homes here in the state’s earliest days."
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The state capitol wall nearby reads: "We have lived long, but this is the noblest work of our whole lives. It will transform vast solitudes into thriving districts. The United States take rank this day among the first powers of the Earth." It is a quote by Robert R. Livingston. Livingston was one of the Committee of Five which drafted the Declaration of Independence. While serving as the US Minister to France, he negotiated the Louisiana Purchase. Livingston made this quoted statement when the Louisiana Purchase was signed.
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According to Wikipedia, this statue (The Pioneers) and it's counterpart (The Patriots) on the other side of the state capital steps were the last major commission before his death in 1936.

A neat model of this statue can be found here: (visit link)

"Lorado Zadok Taft (April 29, 1860, in Elmwood, Illinois – October 30, 1936, in Chicago) was an American sculptor, writer and educator. His 1903 book, The History of American Sculpture, was the first survey of the subject and stood for decades as the standard reference. He has been credited with helping to advance the status of women as sculptors."
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TITLE: The Pioneers ARTIST(S): Lorado Zadoc Taft DATE: 1932 MEDIUM: Sculpture: limestone. CONTROL NUMBER: IAS 77006426 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: Front steps of Louisiana State Capitol, 900 N 3rd St, Baton Rouge, LA 70802 DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: Wikipedia has the sculptor's middle name as Zaddok instead of Zaddoc.

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