Oglethorpe

Savannah, Georgia is home to a lot of history and significant artwork. Combining the two is a bronze statue of General James Edward Oglethorpe in Chippewa Square. The statue was created by the teamwork of sculptor Daniel Chester French and architect Henry Bacon. It commemorates Savannah’s hero and founder from 1733.

Sculptor Daniel French had some serious decision making to do as he set out to represent this hero of the past. First he chose his material, bronze. Bronze lends itself to more implied movement with less support. He chose to show the powerful military side of Oglethorpe. Dressed in the common military dress of his time, Oglethorpe conveys a similar confidence to that seen in ancient Greek statues. His eyes are heavy and serious, showing no emotion.

Ancient statues of Greece inspired portions of the creation of this statue such as the slight weight shift pose and the freestanding aspect. Unlike the Greek’s statues, however, this portrait is a likeness. The artist researched several drawings and then represented Oglethorpe in a three-dimensional form. Unlike the Greeks, the sculpture is also far from idealized. Oglethorpe is portrayed with a rounded, middle-aged body type that was much like his real body. Further more, the artist did not choose to represent him at what Greeks considered the prime of life (15-25). Instead he is probably represented at the prime of his life’s achievements.

He is represented as a very powerful man who is larger than life, with emphasis on his sword. The line the sword creates leads the eye toward his right boot, which is pressed firmly on the ground. This gesture alone shows his confidence and his feelings of ownership of Savannah, the city he founded and planned. The stepping forward also indicates his goal to keep moving forward with his plans and power. He looks, with a stern face to the south, anticipating the Spanish threat from Florida. The sculpture was erected in 1910, but had it been built in the time of Oglethorpe, it would definitely be a powerful piece of propaganda to boast to Savannahians his power and to induce fear from any visiting outsiders.

The architect made smart design decisions in his part of the building: the stand. He made it fairly simple and of stone as to not take away from the main showcase. The stone contrasts and compliments the bronze material well and offers variety in the piece. The Sculptor had a lot to think about with his part of the design but was also successful. He chose to have Oglethorpe’s overall gesture in a near X shape. It is also balanced asymmetrically. The visually heavy left straight leg and folded left arm help to balance the right leg and sword that stray from the bulk of the statue.

While they no longer symbolize wealth or power, the fabric folds in this statue are notable and like the Greeks’. The artists of ancient Greece realized that representing many folds in the clothing of their statues made them look more naturalistic and could also help convey movement. In Daniel French’s statue, having several folds was unimportant. The attire is military and is meant to look pressed and clean. He only uses the folds he must use to show a bending arm and leather boots.

The texture is smooth in most parts and the artist used striations in the hair for its texture. The statue was never painted, the color was meant to be bronze. As the light changes, the value contrasts created by the three-dimensional form on the statue will change but will look dramatic at all times of the day. The sword that is relaxed but ready for action activates negative space on the statue. It also helps to lead the eyes down and around the piece.

Daniel French and Henry Bacon created a beautiful monument and commemoration to Savannah’s founder. They successfully designed a statue that utilizes the best qualities of ancient Greek statue making but also managed to make something more unique to the time period of General James Edward Oglethorpe.