This lovely sculpture is the namesake of the park in which its located. The park is located across from the Madison County Courthouse and is a popular gathering location in the city of Madison.
Smithsonian Art Inventory Description: "Four robed angels, two male and two female, face outward with their backs to one another. Each is in a different activity --praying, holding a sword, holding a document, or holding grapes. The angels have long wings which extend upward, the tips of which touch those of the other angels on either side. The sculpture is mounted atop a tall, multitiered base with a plaque."
Smithsonian Art Inventory Inscription: "(On lower front of sculpture:) 19 (copyright symbol) 43 by Walter Russell (On bronze plaque, front of base:) A tribute from the nation to honor Colin Kelly, first American hero of World War II, 1915-1941. Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. signed"
The following information about the sculpture is from Wikipedia (
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"The Four Freedoms Monument was commissioned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt following his articulation of the "Four Freedoms" in his 1941 State of the Union Address. This was yet before the participation of the US in World War II. Roosevelt felt that, through the medium of the arts, a far greater number of people could be inspired to appreciate the concept of the Four Freedoms. According to Roosevelt, the four fundamental freedoms are:
Freedom of speech and expression
Freedom of worship
Freedom from want
Freedom from fear
The statue was created by sculptor Walter Russell later that year, and was dedicated in 1943 before a crowd of 60,000 people at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was dedicated to Colin P. Kelly, one of the first recognized American heroes of World War II. On June 14, 1944, the monument was re-dedicated in Kelly's hometown of Madison, Florida, with a speech by Governor Spessard Holland."
A historical marker adjacent to the sculpture provides the following information:
"The Four Freedoms were stated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his Annual Message to Congress, January 6, 1941. Freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear everywhere in the world, became the ideals of American policy. The memorial, symbolizing these aspirations of mankind, was designed by Walter Russell, given by Women's National Institute, and dedicated to the memory of World War II hero, Captain Colin P. Kelly, Jr., June 14, 1944.
Sponsors: Sponsored by Madison County Memorial Post No. 68, The American Legion In Cooperation With Department of State,Bureau of Historic Preservation"