When it comes to commemorative sculptures, figural has it's place firmly established. No amount of abstraction, symbolism or minimalism can bring out the beauty and accuracy of a detailed figural sculpture. It can capture essence of one's character in one simple pose, and immortalize it for ages to come! Personally, I love figural sculptures!!!
While talking about figural, Lincoln Park has a fair share of these beautiful bronzes. The most famous is the "Abraham Lincoln Monument" by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, which has been designated the status of a Chicago Landmark. But there are many others which are absolutely beautiful. My personal favorite is the Shakespeare Monument..
Abraham Lincoln Monument
by Augustus Saint-Gaudens [sculptor], Stanford White [architect]
Year Completed: 1887
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: December
12, 2001
Address: Lincoln Park at North Dearborn Parkway
Green Vardiman Black - by Frederick Cleveland Hibbard
Donated by the National Dental
Association, in appreciation for Black's services to the profession.
Location: Lincoln Park,north of North Ave. at Astor Street.
Ulysses S. Grant Memorial - by Louis Rebisso
Installed: 1891
Location: It's in the east end of the Lincoln Park Zoo
overlooking the Cannon Drive.
Interestingly Grant statue is located in the heart of Lincoln Park,
whereas Lincoln statue is in the heart of Grant Park. Was there a mistaken switch. Apparently NOT
The city of Chicago's website explains it as thus .. It's a Chicago
curiosity, but can easily be explained by knowing the history of Chicago's
prominent lakefront parks. Lincoln Park was Chicago's first park, well
established at the time of Grant's death. The mud-covered remains of the Great
Chicago Fire would be developed as a series of formal gardens after the turn of
the century and named for Grant, another honor for this great Civil War hero.
William Shakespeare - by William Ordway Partridge
Installed: 1894
Location: Lincoln Park: Grandmother's Garden..
Perhaps my favorite figural! The details are amazing. The cloths, the shoes, the posture. it's on beautiful sculpture!!!
The base is inscribed Shakespeare's words from Hamlet, What a piece of
work is man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty! On the
opposite side is Samuel T. Coleridge's words.. He was not for an age but
for all time, our myriad- minded Shakespeare....
Benjamin Franklin Monument - by Richard Henry Park.
He made the sculpture for the 1893 World's
Fair.
Installed in Lincoln Park: 1896..
Relocated:
1966
Hans Cristian Andersen Monument - by Johannes Sophus Gelert
Installed: 1896
Location: Stockton Drive
Johanne Christoph Friedrich von Schiller - by Ernst Bildhauer Rau
Installed: 1886..
Location: Lincoln park - Formal
Garden/Southern end of the Conservatory Garden
East of Stockton Dr at
Webster Avenue
LaSalle Monument - by Count Jacques de La Laing
The statue is donated by Lambert Tree...
Installed: 1889
Location: 2045 N.
Lincoln Park West..
Richard J. Oglesby - by Leonard Crunelle
Installed: 1919
Location:
Lincoln Park, west of Cannon Drive and east of the north end of North
pond..
General Philip H. Sheridan - by Gutzon Borglum
Installed:
1923
Location: Lincoln Park, near Sheridan Road at Belmost Ave. and N.
Lakeshore Drive.
Sheridian [1831-88] is portrayed here as a commander of Army
of the Shenandoah on Oct 19, 1864.
INCOMPLETE!!! But time sleep now!