Richard Morris Hunt Memorial

Richard Morris Hunt Memorial. Located on the perimeter of Central Park along Fifth Avenue in New York City, this monument honors the pioneering American architect Richard Morris Hunt. Designed by the renowned sculptor Daniel Chester French and architect Bruce Price, the memorial was dedicated in 1898 and serves as a testament to Hunt's profound influence on American architecture and the City Beautiful movement. It stands as a collaborative tribute from Hunt's colleagues, students, and admirers within the artistic and architectural communities.

Description

The memorial features a seated bronze portrait statue of Richard Morris Hunt by Daniel Chester French, celebrated for his work on the Lincoln Memorial's sculpture. Hunt is depicted in a contemplative pose, holding architectural plans and a compass, symbols of his profession. The statue is set within an elaborate exedra, a semicircular granite bench and backing designed by Bruce Price, a prominent architect who worked on projects like the Château Frontenac. The exedra is adorned with two bronze relief panels created by French, which allegorically represent Painting and Sculpture paying homage to Architecture. The entire composition is situated on a prominent terrace overlooking the Central Park Conservatory Water, near other notable landmarks such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum.

History

The initiative for the memorial began shortly after Hunt's death in 1895, spearheaded by the American Institute of Architects and a committee that included prominent figures like J. P. Morgan and Charles Follen McKim of the firm McKim, Mead & White. Fundraising was supported by many of Hunt's former students and prominent clients from families like the Vanderbilts. The site on Fifth Avenue was secured with the approval of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The cornerstone was laid in 1896, and the completed memorial was unveiled in a ceremony on October 31, 1898, attended by dignitaries including Mayor Robert Anderson Van Wyck. Over the decades, it has undergone several restoration campaigns, including a major effort in the 1980s led by the Central Park Conservancy and the Municipal Art Society.

Inscriptions

The granite exedra bears several incised and bronze inscriptions. The central dedication reads: "TO / RICHARD MORRIS HUNT / BY HIS FRIENDS / ADMIRERS / AND FELLOW CITIZENS / MDCCCXCVIII." One bronze relief panel is inscribed "ARCHITECTURE" at its base, while the accompanying figures for Painting and Sculpture are identified. The name of the sculptor, "D.C. FRENCH," is found on the base of the statue, and the architect "BRUCE PRICE" is credited on the exedra's structure. A small, less prominent inscription notes the involvement of the foundry Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company, which also cast works for Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

Significance and reception

The memorial is historically significant as one of the first major public monuments in the United States dedicated to an architect, reflecting the growing professional status of the field. It is a key work of the American Renaissance and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Art historians, including those from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, praise it as a masterful synthesis of architecture and sculpture, highlighting the collaboration between Daniel Chester French and Bruce Price. It is frequently cited in studies of Gilded Age art and the development of Central Park, alongside works by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. The memorial continues to be a point of interest for organizations like the New-York Historical Society and is a stop on architectural tours focusing on Beaux-Arts architecture in Manhattan.

Category:Monuments and memorials in New York City Category:Central Park Category:1898 works