''Rabboni'' is a public artwork by
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
artist
Gutzon Borglum
John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum (March 25, 1867 – March 6, 1941) was an American sculptor best known for his work on Mount Rushmore. He is also associated with various other public works of art across the U.S., including Stone Mountain in Georg ...
, located
Rock Creek Cemetery
Rock Creek Cemetery is an cemetery with a natural and rolling landscape located at Rock Creek Church Road, NW, and Webster Street, NW, off Hawaii Avenue, NE, in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, D.C., United States. It is across the stree ...
in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. ''Rabboni'' was surveyed as part of the
Smithsonian Save Outdoor Sculpture!
Save Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS!) was a community-based effort to identify, document, and conserve outdoor sculpture in the United States. The program was initiated in 1989 and ended in 1999.
History
Save Outdoor Sculpture! was initiated by Herit ...
survey in 1993. It is a tribute to Charles Matthews Ffoulke, prominent Washington banker and tapestry collector.
Description
This
Realist sculpture depicts
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cru ...
emerging from an alcove consisting of three
granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...
blocks that surround her. Dressed in long robes and a cape which covers her head, her proper right hand is raised to lift the cape from her head. Her proper left arm is extended outward in front of her. Her proper right leg is stepping forward, to recognize
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
has risen from his tomb on
Easter
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
.
The lower right of the sculpture is signed: Gutzon Borglum Sc / Gorham Co.
The front of the sculptures base is inscribed: RABBONI
On the back of the center granite piece is an upper bronze plaque which is inscribed:
:THE END OF BIRTH IS DEATH
:THE END OF DEATH IS LIFE AND
:WHERFOR MOURNEST THOU
A lower bronze plaque is inscribed:
:IN MEMORY OF
:Charles Mather Ffoulke
:1841–1909
:Sarah Cushing
:His Wife
:1852–1926
:AND THEIR CHILDREN
:HORACE CUSHING FFOULKE
:1876–1903
:GWENDOLINE FFOULKE
:CHARLES MATHER FFOULKE II
:1889–1912
:AND
:HORACE CUSHING
:BELOVED FATHER OF SARAH CUSHING
:1819–1865
Gallery
File:Rabboni by Gutzon Borglum (1909) Control IAS 76005124 Front Detail.jpg, Detail
File:Rabboni by Gutzon Borglum (1909) Control IAS 76005124 Front.jpg, Front
Information
The title of this piece, ''Rabboni'', is traditionally spelled "Rabbouni", which is Aramaic in origin
imilar to Hebrew form of "rabbi" Upon seeing the resurrected Christ, Magdalene calls him "Rabbouni," per this Bible passage:
:"Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabbouni; which is to say, dear Master". (KJV)
Actress
Edith Wynne Matthison
Edith Wynne Matthison (November 23, 1875 – September 23, 1955) was an Anglo-American stage actress who also appeared in two silent films.
Biography
She was born on November 23, 1875, in England, the daughter of Kate Wynne Matthison and Henry ...
was the model for the statue.
Further reading
*Price, Willadene, ''Gutzon Borglum, Artist and Patriot''. Chicago: Rand McNally (1972).
References
External links
''Rabboni'' on DC Memorials''Rabboni'' on TerminartorsList of Famous Residents including Ffoulke, at Rock Creek Cemetery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rabboni (Sculpture)
1909 sculptures
Bronze sculptures in Washington, D.C.
Burials at Rock Creek Cemetery
Monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C.
Outdoor sculptures in Washington, D.C.
Sculptures by Gutzon Borglum
Sculptures of women in Washington, D.C.
Statues depicting Mary Magdalene
Statues in Washington, D.C.
Cemetery art