John J. Pershing General of the Armies
John J. Pershing General of the Armies | |
---|---|
Artist | Robert White |
Year | 1983 |
Type | Bronze |
Dimensions | 270 cm × 71 cm × 71 cm (108 in × 28 in × 28 in) |
Location | Washington, D.C. |
38°53′45.1″N 77°1′56.7″W / 38.895861°N 77.032417°W | |
Owner | National Park Service |
John J. Pershing General of the Armies, is a public artwork by American artist
Description
The sculpture shows General Pershing standing with his head slightly turned, as if overseeing a battlefield in front of him. His proper right hand raises binoculars to his eyes and his proper left hand holds his hat at his side. Wearing a World War I uniform with knickerbockers, tall boots and a long belted jacket, he steps forward with his proper left foot.
Resting on a square of red granite (51 × 53 × 53 in.) in a small plaza, the sculpture is flanked by two tall granite walls.
The front of the rear wall is inscribed (rear wall: H. 10 ft. W. 3 ft. L. 311⁄2 ft.):
- JOHN J. PERSHING
- GENERAL OF THE ARMIES.
The back of the rear wall is inscribed:
- IN THEIR DEVOTION, THEIR VALOR, AND IN THE LOYAL FULFILLMENT OF THEIR
- OBLIGATIONS, THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES
- HAVE LEFT A HERITAGE OF WHICH THOSE WHO FOLLOW MAY EVER BE PROUD
- JOHN J. PERSHING
- (Pershing's signature)
The front left wall, which is divided into four sections features an extensive text regarding Pershing's involvement in the
- ERECTED BY:
- AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION
- WALLACE K. HARRISON ARCHITECT
- FREDERICK (...transcription illegible)
- ENGINEER
- ROBERT WHITE SCULPTOR
- 1983[1]
Information
Authorized by Congress on April 2, 1956, the American Battle Monuments Commission paid the $400,000 for the park.[1] The sculpture was dedicated in October 1983.[2]
Condition
This sculpture was surveyed in 1994 for its condition and was described as "well maintained."[1]
Further reading
- Walgren, A. S.(2016). The “Forgotten Man” of Washington: the Pershing Memorial and the Battle over Military Memorialization. (Master's thesis). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/3543
References
- ^ a b c d American Art Museum (2004). "John J. Pershing General of the Armies (sculpture)". Inventory of American Sculpture. Smithsonian. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
- ^ "Pershing Park (U.S. National Park Service)". National Park Service. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
External links
- Monument on dcMemorials Archived 2012-05-18 at the Wayback Machine.
- Monument on hmdb.com.