This statue is part of a collection of four bronze, allegorical sculptures located at the base of this monument. The base of the monument is oblong in shape, 61 X 74 feet, built of pink Swedish granite, having thirteen steps, symbolical of the thirteen original states. At the corners of the fountains representing the four great American Rivers, the Delaware, Hudson, Potomac, and Mississippi, with allegorical figures of Indians immediately at hand. These fountains are guarded on either side by native animals as the Moose, Elk, Bison and Bear, all in bronze. page 7-8. This waymark features one of those Indian Figures. (see below citation)
This bronze statue is on the first tier of a huge, forty-four foot, three-tier monument to George Washington. On the four corners of the monument are four, huge allegorical figures. This figure depicts another very naked native American woman, laid out, chilling out with nature. A huge snake or eel or some slithering creepy-crawly is about to have at her, slithering near her, its head cocked up near her left elbow. She is leaning on a stump. there is some kind of garland of leaves around her head and a long braid extends down her back. She appears to be laying on some kind of tarp or blanket, creased up in several places. An exhaustive search revealed an old archive and an actual book from 1897, on-line (scanned), produced just for the dedication and installation of this wonderful work of art. The website for the book is HERE. There is an excerpt which specifically refers to this sculpture. There is no official name given for it, just a decent description.
These four fountains, almost complete in themselves, form, as a whole, one of the most unique and attractive finishes for a base ever designed.
...The next fountain represents the Potomac River with a fine elk on either side. It, too, has a bronze figure at the back - An Indian squaw holding a paddle. At her feet are some water lilies and crawling around her is a huge snake.
Every piece of this sculpture is made of bronze. The sculptor was Rudolf Siemering (1835-1905) and the monument was founded by Gegossen Lauchhammer. The monument is 44 feet high. The base is granite and all the critters and George are bronze. The monument was dedicated May 15, 1897 and relocated 1928. This piece was erected by the State Society of the Cincinnati of Pennsylvania. It was originally installed at the Green Street entrance to Fairmount Park, but when the Benjamin Franklin Parkway was finished in 1928, the monument was moved to its current site at the end of the parkway in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Officially, this part of town is known as Eakins Oval (west end). The monument was donated to the City of Philadelphia by the State Society of the Cincinnati of Pennsylvania, a group of descendants of Revolutionary War officers. Restoration of this astoundingly complex and detailed monument was completed in June of 1997.
The monument is a must-see for anyone who visits or lives in Philadelphia. I have seen every monument and sculpture the city has to offer and this by far is the most impressive, ornate and detailed. It is simply one of the most beautiful outdoor works of art I have ever seen. Even my kids were enthralled by the monument and have asked me if they could go back and visit it again. The monument is ‘constructed’ in three zones or levels, each representing a different concept: Washington (the hero) sits at the top; allegorical figures depicting his time are on the middle level; and on the lowest level are the flora and fauna of his country with representative figures.
The monument is located at the very bottom of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and can be easily seen from the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Placed on a piece of real estate called Eakins Oval, it is the centerpiece of the oval. There is a huge parking lot to the rear of this where you can stow your car while you wonder around the area and look at all the other fantastic sculptures and monuments. Parking is $12.
Although the traffic patterns have changed dramatically over the last century, this amazing monument is still a very popular roadside attraction for tourists and still for locals. The monument is located at the southwest entrance to the Art Museum.