In the years 2011 through 2015 the United States will be commemorating the sesquicentennial of the Civil War. With that in mind, I share with you thoughts on the Shaw Memorial, done to pay tribute to the Massachusetts 54th Regiment.
Robert Gould Shaw grew up in a home of strong abolitionists. He joined the New York Seventh when the Civil War began, and rose in rank throughout infantries and battles, including the Battle of Antietam, where he was wounded. Shaw was promoted to Colonel during the Civil War and in February of 1863 was selected to lead the Massachusetts 54th, a black regiment. Accounts of the men in his troop suggest that the Colonel and his men grew to respect and admire each other over the course of a few months. In June of that same year, they sailed to Hilton Head, South Carolina to prepare to attack Fort Wagner.
The 54th marched to battle the eve of July 18, 1863. Colonel Shaw was killed that night alongside other men in his regiment. Although it was a Confederate Victory, it occurred at a key turning point in the war. The bravery and courage that Shaw and his men had, knowing that they might very well have been marching do their deaths, was astonishing.
As you look at the pictures of the memorial, be certain to take in the expression on the faces of these men. Colonel Shaw, with an air of pride, and his men, following him into a deadly battle, each face showing some kind of emotion; fear, dignity, honor, and the will to face the unknown. It is fascinating how life-like this sculpture is.
My favorite part of this sculpture is the allegorical angelic figure at the top. I believe it is not just a protector, but also a comforter and friend who does not want these men to feel alone or afraid.
August Saint-Gaudens was commissioned to create this high-relief sculpture in the early 1880’s. He was given four years to complete the sculpture, but the deadline came and went with no installation. Saint-Gaudens become so involved in the work, it took him over thirteen years to bring it to up to a standard he could live with. The monument was finally dedicated in 1897.
Saint-Gaudens continued to improve the sculpture and in 1898 made a new cast in plaster that exhibited at the Paris Salon that year. In 1900 the relief showed at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, with further changes, and received a grand prize for all of his works and a Legion of Honor. His final version exhibited in 1901 at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York.
In 1997 a new bronze cast was dedicated for the National Museum where Colonel Collin Powell spoke about the sculpture. “I doubt if plaster and bronze have ever spoken more eloquently to us than in this celebrated work by Augustus Saint-Gaudens.” The speech in its entirety can be found at the Washington Post, October 4, 1997.
Saint-Gaudens took the necessary time to create this piece. It would never have been so profound if he had said at four years, “Ok, that’s good enough.” If he had not been funded appropriately, would there have been a memorial in the first place? Finding such depth and importance in today’s public monuments is rare, but I think just as important now as it was then.
The Shaw Memorial is one of the most revered monuments in history. The piece depicts incredible emotion, story, and thought. If you ever find yourself in the Boston Common or the National Museum, be sure to stop at this memorial and let in enter your soul as it has mine.
-Penny Lane
Thanks to these sites for photos and informaton:
http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/sc007.htm
http://nationalparkstraveler.com
http://www.nga.gov/feature/shaw/
www.pbs.org
commons.wikimedia.org
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