The Smithsonian Inventory (
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"Augustus Saint-Gaudens was an American sculptor who was trained in France. When he returned to the United States, he came with hopes of promoting an aesthetic ideal—something that he had seen happening in France [1]. (See the section on the City Beautiful Movement for more information about the early-1900s concept of creating an aesthetic ideal in United-States cities.)
Although the sculpture of Civil-War general William Tecumseh Sherman was commissioned in 1888, Saint-Gaudens, a well-established and much-sought-after artist, did not have time to focus all of his energy on the project until 1897. In creating the sculpture, Saint-Gaudens worked from a bust that he had completed years earlier [2]. The sculpture, which is made of bronze with a gold leaf surface, portrays General Sherman on horseback, striding forward, as his cape billows out behind. In front of the horse a woman walks forward, her right arm outstretched. This figure represents victory, and the palm branch in ther left hand represents peace [3].
Once the sculpture was completed, there arose some controversy as to where it should be placed. Saint-Gaudens, among others, wanted the sculpture to be located in front of Grant's Tomb. The relatives of both Grant and Sherman objected, however, and the artist conceded. Both the Central Park Mall and Times Square were also considered as possible locations, but the final decision placed the sculpture at the south-east entrance to Central Park, at the corner of 59th Street and Fifth Avenue [4]. The sculpture was unveiled in May, 1903.
A few years later, the sculpture was moved slightly from its original position as part of an effort to create an architecturally-planned public space in the area. This new design for the space included the building of the Pulitzer Fountain, located in an adjacent plaza to the sculpture of General Sherman. Karl Bitter, the designer of the Pulitzer Fountain, knew that the fountain would be placed across from General Sherman, and he took this into account in his design."
The artist, Augustus St. Gaudens (1848-1907), was a well-respected sculptor known for his mutlitude of monuments around the country. He even designed the United States $20 gold piece. His home in New Hampshire is now a National Historic Site. Read more about him at (
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The subject of the sculpture, General William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891)is celebrated here for his victorious service during the US Civil War. Sherman became known (and sometimes criticized) for his scorched-earth policy during battle. He was crucial to the victory at Vicksburg and in Tennessee..but he is always remembered for his March through Atlanta which is usually seen as the moment that the War was won for the North. Read more about him at (
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