Nathan Hale

Frederick MacMonnies, Nathan Hale, 1890, bronze, 28 ¹⁄₄ x 9 ³⁄₄ x 6 ¹⁄₄ in. (71.9 x 24.7 x 15.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by the American Art Forum in honor of George Gurney, Curator Emeritus, 2012.5

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Artwork Details

Title: Nathan Hale
Artist: Frederick MacMonnies
Date: 1890
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
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2nd Floor
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East Wing
Dimensions: 28 ¹⁄₄ x 9 ³⁄₄ x 6 ¹⁄₄ in. (71.9 x 24.7 x 15.8 cm)
Credit Line: Museum purchase made possible by the American Art Forum in honor of George Gurney, Curator Emeritus
Mediums: bronze
Mediums Description: bronze
Classifications: Sculpture
Subjects: Portrait male — Hale, Nathan — full length
History — United States — Revolution
Occupation — military — soldier
Object Number: 2012.5
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2012.5

Artwork Description

Nathan Hale (1755–1776), a teacher from Connecticut, fought for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. The British hanged the twenty-one-year-old soldier as a spy after he had infiltrated their lines in New York. Just before his death, Hale allegedly uttered the now famous words: "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." Frederick MacMonnies portrayed Hale as a young American martyr. He stands with his shoulders thrust back and his head lifted slightly, even though his feet and arms are bound with rope. The sculpture’s rough surface and lack of finish originally drew criticism but reflected MacMonnies's formal training at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. His original nine-foot-high bronze sculpture of Hale was erected at City Hall Park in New York in 1893, where it stands today. This smaller sculpture is one of several models that MacMonnies produced.