A statue of
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...
by
Richard Saltonstall Greenough is installed outside
Old City Hall in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, United States. It rests on a base with plaques designed by Greenough and
Thomas Ball.
Description
The statue of Franklin measures approximately 8 ft., 4 in. x 2 ft., 2 in. x 2 ft., 2 in., and rests on a marble and granite base that measures approximately 9 ft., 3 in. x 7 ft., 6 in. x 7 ft., 6 in. The base features four plaques: the front and back plaques (''Franklin Experimenting with Electricity'' and ''Franklin in His Printing Shop'') were designed by Greenough, and the other two (''Franklin at Paris Peace Treaty'' and ''Franklin at the Declaration of Independence'') were designed by
Thomas Ball.
[
]
History
The bronze sculpture
Bronze is the most popular metal for Casting (metalworking), cast metal sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply "a bronze". It can be used for statues, singly or in groups, reliefs, and small statuettes and figurines, as w ...
was modeled in 1855, and dedicated on September 17, 1856. It cost $20,000 and was erected as Boston's first portrait statue to commemorate the sesquicentennial of Franklin's birth. The statue was originally installed in front of Bullfinch's Court House, before being relocated to City Hall.[
The work was surveyed as part of the ]Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
's "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 ...
" program in 1993.[
]
See also
* 1856 in art
References
External links
*
1855 sculptures
1856 establishments in Massachusetts
Bronze sculptures in Massachusetts
Granite sculptures in Massachusetts
Monuments and memorials in Boston
Outdoor sculptures in Boston
Sculptures of men in Massachusetts
Statues in Boston
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
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