The Patriots - Baton Rouge, LA
Posted by: ggmorton
N 30° 27.411 W 091° 11.229
15R E 674053 N 3370805
An elaborate set of statues on the right side / east buttress of the steps of the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge, LA.
Waymark Code: WM13BRG
Location: Louisiana, United States
Date Posted: 11/02/2020
Views: 0
"Ten mourners stand around a large armored knight who stands on the coffin of a fallen hero. The knight wears a helmet, and a cape over his armor. He holds the handle of a sword with both hands, the point of which rests at his feet. The figures surrounding the coffin are led by an elderly couple on the proper right, and on the proper left, a man holding a hat over his heart. A wreath and palm rest on the coffin. The sculpture is mounted on a massive, tiered base that is attached to a building."
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"The Patriots monument honors those who died defending our home and rights."
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The state capitol wall nearby reads: "The instruments which we have just signed will cause no tears to be shed; they prepare ages of happiness for innumerable generations of human creatures." It is a quote by Robert R. Livingston from May 3rd, 1803 after signing the treaty purchasing Louisiana from France. 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.
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According to Wikipedia, this statue (The Patriots) and it's counterpart (The Pioneers) 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: (
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"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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