Art, history, and political drama all meld together in this one dramatic story about one dramatic sculpture. The nation's first federally-commissioned monument, Horatio Greenough's huge marble statue of George Washington, sits near the entrance of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Meant to be the symbolic focus of the whole continent--at the very center of the US Capitol--the monument instead seems a sadly curious relic. This book tells the tale of its demotion from stardom to obscurity: the story is stranger than fiction, including an attempted murder; fights in the USA, Britain, and Italy; and political maneuvering. Horatio Greenough and the Form Majestic: The Biography of the Nation's First Washington Monument presents new research into the complicated tale. It translates and explains the monument's Latin inscription and offers the story of how the work was brought to America by a sea captain subsequently immortalized by Herman Melville. The book also untangles and decodes the monument's symbolism for the average spectator and art lovers alike. This is the story of the commissioning, conception, execution, transportation, installation and re-location, the public's bemused and often fond reception, subsequently frequent re-positionings, and so much more of the nation's first monument to George Washington. Horatio Greenough's statue rests at the heart of an amazing tale, never told before this book.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.