[go: up one dir, main page]
Jump to content

Four Continents (French)

Edit links
Coordinates: 40°42′15″N 74°0′49″W / 40.70417°N 74.01361°W / 40.70417; -74.01361
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Four Continents
Statues outside the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House
Map
ArtistDaniel Chester French and Adolph Alexander Weinman
MediumMarble sculpture
LocationNew York City, New York, U.S.
Coordinates40°42′15″N 74°0′49″W / 40.70417°N 74.01361°W / 40.70417; -74.01361

Four Continents is the collective name of four sculptures by Daniel Chester French, installed outside the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House at Bowling Green in Manhattan, New York City.[1] French performed the commissions with associate Adolph A. Weinman.[2]

Description and history

[edit]

The work was made of marble[3] and sculpted by the Piccirilli Brothers,[4][5] with each sculptural group costing $13,500 (equivalent to $460,000 in 2023).[4] The sculptures were first shown to the public in 1905.[3] From east to west, the statues depict larger-than-life-size personifications of Asia, America, Europe, and Africa.[6][3] The primary figures are female, but there are also auxiliary human figures flanking each primary figure. In addition, Asia's figure is paired with a tiger, and Africa's figure is paired with a lion.[3]

[edit]
  • Asia
    Asia
  • America
    America
  • Europe
    Europe
  • Africa
    Africa

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Keyes, Allison (March 5, 2018). "Two Museum Directors Say It's Time to Tell the Unvarnished History of the U.S." Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  2. ^ "United States Custom House" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. October 14, 1965. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 26, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2019; van Alfen, Peter. "Monuments, Medals, and Metropolis, part I: Beaux Arts Architecture". Archived from the original on January 12, 2014; Harris, J. (2002). The New Art History: A Critical Introduction. Taylor & Francis. p. 269. ISBN 978-1-134-58250-1. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d "For Four Marble Groups; Symbols of Continents for the Custom House by D.C. French Shown". The New York Times. April 30, 1905. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "United States Custom House Interior" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. January 9, 1979. p. 4. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  5. ^ "Custom House Statues". New-York Tribune. November 13, 1905. p. 9. Retrieved March 24, 2020 – via newspapers.com Open access icon; Gray, Christopher (October 17, 1999). "Streetscapes/The Piccirillis; Six Brothers Who Left Their Mark as Sculptors". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 8, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  6. ^ White, Norval; Willensky, Elliot; Leadon, Fran (2010). AIA Guide to New York City (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-19538-386-7.
[edit]
Stub icon

This New York City–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Stub icon 1 Stub icon 2

This article about a sculpture in New York is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Four_Continents_(French)&oldid=1239191791"