Philosophy (bust of figure on front façade of New York Public Library)

Paul Wayland Bartlett, Philosophy (bust of figure on front facade of New York Public Library), modeled ca. 1915, bronze, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Armistead Peter III, 1958.11.15
Copied Paul Wayland Bartlett, Philosophy (bust of figure on front facade of New York Public Library), modeled ca. 1915, bronze, 20 3826 5811 12 in. (51.667.529.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Armistead Peter III, 1958.11.15
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Artwork Details

Title
Philosophy (bust of figure on front façade of New York Public Library)
Founder
Limerick Bronze Works
Date
modeled ca. 1915
Dimensions
20 3826 5811 12 in. (51.667.529.3 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Armistead Peter III
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Keywords
  • Study — sculpture model
  • Allegory — arts and sciences — philosophy
  • Figure male — elderly — bust
  • Architecture Exterior — civic — New York Public Library
Object Number
1958.11.15

Artwork Description

The full-length statues Philosophy and Poetry stand above the grand entrance of the New York Public Library. Paul Wayland Bartlett modeled six heroic figures for this commission---History and Philosophy, Romance and Religion, Poetry and Drama---to symbolize the different fields of knowledge represented in the library. These tall sculptures, designed to sit on a one-foot-wide shelf far above ground level, were carved in high relief to exaggerate the features of the figures.