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Statue of the Republic, Chicago, Illinois, Elevation of a Reduced-Scale Copy

A work made of ink and ink wash or watercolor on paper.

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  • A work made of ink and ink wash or watercolor on paper.

Date:

1915

Artist:

Daniel Chester French
American, 1850–1931

About this artwork

Republic, a 65-foot-tall gilt statue by Daniel Chester French, was the centerpiece of the Court of Honor at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, surrounded by the ornate neoclassical structures and colonnades of the fair buildings. After the exposition the temporary sculpture was reproduced at a reduced scale as a permanent monument in Jackson Park. Although the White City, as the court was popularly known, was designed to be a temporary fairground, it had a lasting impact on the history of city planning and helped to launch the City Beautiful movement across the United States. Reacting to the chaotic plan of early industrial cities, proponents of this movement advocated for comprehensive planning and visual compositions in the city, with wide, uniform boulevards leading to distinctive monuments, such as the design of the Court of Honor. Daniel Burnham, the chief architect of the fair, was one of the leaders of this movement, and his subsequent planning work capitalized on the visual impact of monument to shape the modern city.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Architecture and Design

Artist

Daniel Chester French

Title

Statue of the Republic, Chicago, Illinois, Elevation of a Reduced-Scale Copy

Place

Chicago (Place depicted)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1915

Medium

Ink and ink wash or watercolor on paper

Dimensions

53.5 × 40.5 cm (21 1/16 × 15 15/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of the B.F. Ferguson Monument Fund

Reference Number

1995.174.1

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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