- Major General John A. Logan
-
Major General John A. Logan 
Artist Franklin Simmons Year 1901 Type Bronze Dimensions 370 cm × 300 cm × 140 cm (144 in × 120 in × 54 in) Location Washington, D.C. 38°54′34.72″N 77°1′46.73″W / 38.9096444°N 77.0296472°W Owner National Park Service Major General John A. Logan is a public artwork by American artist Franklin Simmons, located at Logan Circle in Washington, D.C., United States. Major General John A. Logan was originally surveyed as part of the Smithsonian's Save Outdoor Sculpture! survey in 1993. The monument is an equestrian statue dedicated to American soldier and political leader John A. Logan.
The statue is a contributing monument to the Civil War Monuments in Washington, DC, of the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
Description
This statue shows Logan upon his horse. In his proper left hand he holds the reins and in his proper right hand he holds a sword which is pointed downwards. Logan, wearing a long belted frock coat, boots, gloves and a hat, is shown with long hair and a long mustache. The horse strides forward with its proper right front foot raised.
The sculpture sits upon a bronze base, which itself rests upon a low stone base. Each corner of the bronze base features an American Eagle as a symbol of patriotism. The front lower portion is adorned with palm leaves, which symbolize victory, and surround the inscribed word LOGAN (which appears on both east and west sides of the base).
The bronze base features reliefs depicting historical moments in Logan's life. The west side of the bronze features Logan, dressed in a military uniform, standing with fellow officers who are meeting to discuss the Civil War. To Logan's proper right is a table with a open map on it with three officers looking at it, with one pointing to the map. Logan stands with his proper left hand on the map, looking away, while the other officers look toward him. The east side of the bronze depicts Logan standing with Vice President Chester A. Arthur. The scene shows Arthur swearing in Logan as a senator in front of a group of other senators. Logan is shown raising his proper right arm while Arthur raises his left and holds a book. The other two sides of the bronze base feature two allegorical female figures. One represents Peace and holds a laurel wreath in her proper right hand and a fasces in her proper left. Peace wears long robes and a laurel wreath on her head. The other short side shows a female representing War, holding a shield in front of her, wearing a crown-shaped helmet and a dress with armor details. In her proper right hand she holds a sword.
The statue is signed:
Franklin Simmons
FOND. NELLI ROMA 1897[1]Information
The bronze base was installed on April 18 1898, the sculpture was installed on Jan 23, 1901 and dedicated on April 9, 1901. It was paid for by the government and Society for the Army of the Tennessee and cost $65,000. It was estimated that the bronze base would take one year to cast, but sculptor Franklin Simmons paid extra to have the foundry work around the clock to have it made, which took only 3 1/2 months.
The bronze base, which features a depiction of Vice President Chester A. Arthur, is historically inaccurate. When Logan was senator, Arthur was not Vice President, however, Mrs. Logan wished to have contemporary famous men shown in the panels during Logan's death, hence the appearance of Arthur.
Cranford Paving Company provided the foundation construction and placed the granite for the base. Simmons was unhappy with the first base and requested a new base be replaced in September 1897.
The sculpture arrived from Rome in December 1901 and was stored at the Brooklyn pier for a month. The bronze was too large to be transported by train to Washington. Eventually the piece was placed onto a two-masted schooner and arrived in Washington on January 16, 1901.[1]
Artist
Main article: Franklin SimmonsCondition
This sculpture was surveyed in 1993 for its condition and was described as "well maintained."[1]
Gallery
References
- ^ a b c Save Outdoor Sculptures! (1993). "Major General John A. Logan, (sculpture)". SOS!. Smithsonian. http://siris-artinventories.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?&profile=all&source=~!siartinventories&uri=full=3100001~!18816~!0#focus. Retrieved 21 July, 2010.
External links
Categories:- Public art stubs
- Artworks surveyed by Save Outdoor Sculpture!
- Monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C.
- Outdoor sculptures in Washington, D.C.
- Artworks in the collection of the United States National Park Service
-
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
