Monday, February 12, 2007

Carl Schurz: OMOM Essay 51

In "About the Sculpture" I discuss the reliefs flanking Schurz's portrait statue, which recall more of Schurz's achievements than could have been conveyed by his portrait alone. The reliefs are executed in the archaizing style made popular by Paul Manship (Prometheus, Essay 28).

"About the Subject" in Outdoor Monuments of Manhattan focuses on Schurz's participation in the American Anti-Imperialist League, which maintained that the United States should not annex the Phillippines after the Spanish-American War. Schurz's arguments are brilliantly expounded in a speech of 1899 that includes the famous line, "Our country - when right to be kept right; when wrong to be put right." To read the whole speech, click here.

Make a point of visiting this sculpture on a clear day - the view is spectacular. Below: reliefs at left, center and right. As always, you can double-click to see a larger image.












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