Monday, March 7, 2011

First Thursday: (Third Paper)

The piece that I choose to critique was the Theodore Roosevelt Statue, located in the Park Blocks, right outside of the Portland Art Museum.  This is a copyright symbol that dates back to 1922.  It was a gift that was donated to the City of Portland by Dr. Henry Waldo Coe (1857-1927), who was actually a friend of Roosevelt.  The sculpture cost $40,000 dollars to create.  The groundbreaking ceremony was preformed by Vice-President Calvin College on August 15, 1922.  The sculpture was the subject in a film entitled, “The Making of a Bronze Statue”.  Furthermore, the film was created by the Metropolitan Museum of Art to document the process of creating a bronze monument.  
This is basically a large sculpture of Theodore Roosevelt mounted on a horse said to be shown as a Rough Rider.  He is wearing his cavalry uniform, wide brimmed hat and glasses.  He is carrying sword on his left side and a pistol on his right.  It is a vary detailed figurative bronze casting.  The horse was modified after a suggestion from General Leonard Wood.
On the base of this statue, there is a plaque which states the following:
He was found faithful over a few things and he was made ruler over many.  He was Frail; He made himself tower of strength.  He was timid; He made himself a lion of courage.  He was a dreamer;  He became of of the Great doers of all time.  Men put their trust in him; women found a champion in him; kings stood in awe of him, but children made him their playmate.  He broke a nation’s slumber with his cry, and rose up .  Souls became swords through him; Swords became servants of God.  He was loyal to this country, and he exacted loyalty of God.  He loved many lands, but he loved his own land best.  He was terrible in battle, but tender to the weak.  Joyous and tireless.

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