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George Washington Memorial

Item

Title
George Washington Memorial
Description
Commissioned on recommendation of Thomas Jefferson by Gov. William Miller, the statue used the marble bust created by Giuseppe "Joseph" Ceracchi as a model and created the form out of Carrara marble. Washing ton is dressed in ancient Roman military armor and is holding a tablet and quill with a sword at their feet. There was an inscription in both english and italian on the base with Washington's name and it says "To the Great Nation of the United States of America. A marble replica was made in 1970 by Romano Vio to replace the plaster copy the Italian government sent in 1910.
Coordinates
1 E Edenton St, Raleigh, NC 27601
Location
North Carolina State House, Raleigh, North Carolina
Note
The statue's original location has a copy of another statue of Washington in its place Washington historically disliked seeing himself in Roman robes or depicted as Julius Caesar, but Jefferson and Canova felt the flattery of using these images was warranted.
Abstract
Antonio Canova designed the George Washington Memorial following the recommendation of Thomas Jefferson. The Carrara marble model of Washington, depicted in ancient Roman military armor, was crafted in 1821 but was destroyed in 1831. The existing replica was produced in 1970 by Romano Vio.
Creator
Antonio Canova|85
Date
1821/12/24
Medium
Carrara Marble
Date Modified
1831/06/21
Subject
George Washington
Item sets
Memory Sites