''The Great Double'' is a
bronze sculpture by the
Argentine
Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...
artist
Alicia Penalba
Alicia Penalba (August 9, 1913 – November 4, 1982) was an Argentine sculptor, tapestry designer, and weaver.
Biography
Penalba was born in San Pedro, Buenos Aires Province in 1913. She originally sought a career in drawing and painting. How ...
(1913-1982). One statue named ''Le Grand Double'' (1962-1964) is on display in the sculpture garden of the Dutch
Kröller-Müller Museum. Another (1972) is on display outside the
MGIC building in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...
().
Description
''The Great Double'' measures 28 feet high and weighs 12 tons.
[Buck, Diane M. and Virginia A. Palmer (1995). ''Outdoor Sculpture in Milwaukee: A Cultural and Historical Guidebook'', p. 29. The State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison] The sculpture was produced by the Tesconi & C. Fonderia D'Arte S.N.C located in
Pietrasanta,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
.
''The Great Double'' resembles an
organic
Organic may refer to:
* Organic, of or relating to an organism, a living entity
* Organic, of or relating to an anatomical organ
Chemistry
* Organic matter, matter that has come from a once-living organism, is capable of decay or is the product ...
form. It is made up of many different round and rectangular forms, and has a surface that somewhat resembles bark. The one on display in Milwaukee stands between the MGIC building and a small park, as if to be a stepping stone; it merges the organic and the man-made. ''The Great Double'' is truly a monumental sculpture. Standing vertically at 840 cm (over two stories) it challenges the surrounding trees within its proximity for dominance, as well as the MGIC building, to which it is adjacent. One must stand several feet away in order to take the whole object in at once.
Historic information
"The
Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation
MGIC Investment Corporation ("MGIC") is a provider of private mortgage insurance in the United States. The company is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In addition to mortgage insurance, MGIC provides lenders with various underwriting and ...
was founded in the 1950s by Max Karl... Less than twenty-five years later, the company had become a financial leader and decided to build its corporate headquarters in Milwaukee."
Skidmore, Owings and Merril hired Milwaukee firm Fitzhugh Scott Architects, Inc. to design the headquarters, which were located east of the
Marcus Center
The Marcus Performing Arts Center is a performing arts center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Managed by a non-profit organization, it is marketed as Milwaukee's premier presenter of the performing arts. It is located at 929 North Water St ...
. The design consisted of an inverted pyramid, with each floor fifteen feet below the ground.
When ''The Great Double'' was selected to be sited on the plaza in front of the building, the plaza, the stairs and the landscape were redesigned to give visitors a feeling of monumentality. "Max Karl, president of the MGCI Investment Corporation, commissioned the sculpture with the desire to place a major artist's work in the community and to reassert the commitment of the
private sector
The private sector is the part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government.
Employment
The ...
to the improvement of downtown Milwaukee. At the dedication of the sculpture, Mayor
Henry Maier congratulated MGIC for its "distinctive contribution to the cityscape" in an area targeted for urban renewal in the city."
References
*http://www.answers.com/topic/alicia-penalba-2
*http://clara.nmwa.org/index.php?g=entity_detail&entity_id=6571
External links
View more sculptures by Penalba
{{DEFAULTSORT:Great Double
1972 sculptures
Bronze sculptures in Wisconsin
Landmarks in Wisconsin
Outdoor sculptures in Milwaukee