How New York is Littered With a Variety of Art About US History
Statues of significant authorities and events are usually scattered all over parts of the word. It has become a part of America’s background that I want to explore for this thematic essay about the US history regents as most of us would unconsciously glance at once in a while without sufficiently acknowledging it or knowing the history of it. Historical monuments represent a specific moment of history that remind us of what made America where it is today. It holds such a powerful display of historical greatness, considerable power, and historic importance but with our generation today, we are typically a bit ignorance to it. We perceive them as a pinpoint on a map. If one asks if we can name some historical forms of arts scattered along the city of New York, we might be capable to name a few in a specific location but probably not on top of our heads.
On January 30th, I was on my way to school and had an objective which was to check out some of the monuments in Union Square. Although I have passed by that place hundreds of times to take the trains, I never took into account the monuments there. It stunned me as it was a place I visited frequently but I did not even know who the monuments were. If you asked me if there are monuments there, I would say there is...but I would not know what prominent features I can give you. But on the day I fully decided to be engaged in the different types of monuments there are, front and center of the south end of Union Square park was a beautiful monument I never consciously took in. It was the George Washington statue.
The bronze made full body portrait of George Washington and his horse stood tall. It looms over the center of Union Square, watching over the park. The commissioned monument stood well over 25 feet. It has a barre granite base with an incredibly detailed bronze George Washington riding a horse. Washington in the dedicated monument was wearing a warm looking trench coat with his sword dangling precariously at his left side of his pants. His left hand was pulling on the reins in indication for his horse to slow down. His right hand extends out, as if he was reaching out for something. His foot rests on the stirrups equipped onto his horse. He looked skilled, confident and equipped to confront the overwhelming challenges ahead of him. It represented Washington perfectly as a leader and it showed nothing but how amazing our country was due to him. On the side of the base was a dedicated plaque with key details of George Washington and who crafted this unique monument as well.
The monument of George Washington remains to be the oldest monument to date in New York City Parks. The interest to erect a monument in honor of Washington arose in 1851 by citizens in efforts to forever preserve him and his actions. The committee chose Horatio Greenough and Henry Kirke Brown to design a plan for the monument, but Brown was given the full opportunity to do so after the death of Greenough in 1852. Brown was born on February 24, 1814 and harbored a passion for arts since he was a child. As he got older, he learned about sculpting and discovered a new interest. He devoted four years in Italy and then returned to New York where he was commissioned to craft an iconic piece of a historical figure. This would be known as the George Washington monument we see today. In total, he spent about one year and six months on the monument.
Henry Kirke Brown chose to preserve George Washington reclaiming New York from the British’s hold on November 25, 1783, which was Evacuation Day. It was the historic day that British soldiers left at the end of American Revolution and the city was finally reclaimed by General Knox for all residents of New York. Following swiftly after this, all American residents accepted with welcoming arms New York’s Governor Clinton and General Washington. Brown’s monument of Washington entering the city of Manhattan with outstretched hands as he thanked the troops was lifelike and possessed deep importance to American history. Brown chose to memorialize George Washington on Evacuation Day as it was a vital moment in US history. It was the day British troops promptly left New York City and we were able to reclaim back our land.
Our society is supplied with many forms of arts that recreate and conserve historic people or events. The amount of time and energy that goes into each form of art to preserve these important people or events not only takes much time but also energy. George Washington was not just our first president, but an inspirational leader that helped push forward to where we are today. To be able to celebrate what he accomplished for New York in a form of a monument in the center of where it all took place is brilliant, honorable and memorable too. What George Washington did for this country was compelling and revolutionary with his acts. For him to be celebrated in the form of a monument and for the monument’s plague to teach anyone who’s willing to learn is extraordinary.
New York City is filled with vibrant history that cannot be replicated elsewhere. Yet many people do not seem to acknowledge or take in how New York became to be, especially with this generation. Although we have our phones that can easily access these types of information, we would not take the initiative to do so unless we were told too. This damage our “American identity” as we do not recall our own history of where we came from. From these assignments, we learn and have a new appreciation for not only fine arts, but the history embedded into them as well. The key takeaway of this whole trip was to broaden our perspective that we are surrounding with extraordinary history. Something we do not usually look at, even though we might pass by it every day, is then brought to our attention.
