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Who is the woman behind the Statue of Liberty?
The Statue of Liberty is one of the most iconic statues in the western world and is often considered a symbol of American freedom. Designed and painted by French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, France donated this monumental statue to the United States in 1875 to commemorate America's independence from wartime cooperation between the two countries. Titled "Liberty Enlightening the World", the statue depicts a free woman transformed into a woman, holding a lamp in her right hand and a ribbon with the words "IV JULY, MDCCLXXVI" in her left hand. Roman numeral stele from the date of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. In The New Colossus, Emma Lazarus calls her the "Mother of Exiles," and her image has become one of the world's most recognizable symbols to Americans old and new. So how much do we know about the real-life women who inspired Lady Liberty?
To answer this question, an analysis of Bartholdi's writings and drawings is required; Not the Statue of Liberty, but its predecessor, which bears resemblance to the American monument. Bartholdi began working with monumental sculptures in the late 1850s, nearly 30 years before the Statue of Liberty was completed. He describes his interest in colossal sculptures from ancient monuments such as the Colossus of Rhodes. However, the type of education he was most interested in was the ancient Egyptians. Bartholdi went to Egypt around 1856 and met King George III. He admired the Statues of Memnon, two statues of Amenhotep. These 21-meter-tall statues have stood on the ruins of ancient Thebes for more than 3,200 years. Bartholdi writes: These animals seem to listen to the oldest voices in their disbelief. Their positivity and narrow-mindedness seem to ignore the present and focus on the eternal future….
Bartholdi's journey to Egypt was revolutionary and had a profound impact. In 1868 he admired the Colossus once again, and in 1869 Bartholdi submitted a request for a monumental statue to Ismail Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt. Bartholdi hoped that the Khedive could use his statue to commemorate the completion of the Suez Canal, which opened that year. The Suez Canal, the shortest route between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, is the maritime transit point between Europe and Asia. If elected, Bartholdi hopes his Colossus will be seen as a symbol of leadership and understanding.
Bartholdi's khedive design was modeled on the farr woman, an Egyptian farmer. Unfortunately, little is known about this fall other than his health. Bartholdi left no record of any interest in his own story. Still, a woman's choice is no accident. Bartholdi was aware that centuries ago in Europe, individual values, ideas, and even nationalism were displayed in women. These anthropomorphic figures are revered and sometimes even worshiped, but the important thing about Bartholdi is that they live and live in the hearts of those who see them. This sentiment is evident in the title, form, and function of Bartholdi's submissions to the competition. Titled "Egypt Brings Light to Asia", the giant woman will be placed on a large pedestal in the middle of the Suez Canal. Wearing what Egyptians considered autumn clothing and immortalized as a monument, this outfit will be appreciated by Egyptians of all social classes. It doubles as a beacon that sheds a high light and shines from above. The woman was seen as a symbol of Egypt and its prosperity, as ships of different nationalities sailed under her.
Although Bartholdi's presentation pleased the Khedive, the cost of building the giant statue would have been prohibitively expensive. The plan was shelved as Egypt faced a financial crisis that could cause the Khedive to turn his attention elsewhere. But if Bartholdi's failure seems obvious, it's because he decided to reinvent his designs. Between 1870 and 1871 he began revising the contents of the painting. The woman's character's Egyptian garb has been replaced by a Greek robe, and the light comes from a flashlight instead of her head. After her head was replaced by a crown, she soon held a sign in her left hand. However, just like the 1869 painting, she still holds the lamp with one arm and the other leg on her hip. South America's "freedom that shines to the world" is Egypt's own fault, but it still "shines."
