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Seventh Regiment Memorial

The Seventh Regiment Memorial is an outdoor bronze sculpture in Central Park in New York City, United States. It is dedicated to the members of the Seventh Regiment who died during the American Civil War. The statue was designed by John Quincy Adams Ward, and the base was designed by Richard Morris Hunt. Although the statue dates to 1869, the monument was not unveiled until June 22, 1874. The soldier depicted in the work was modeled on the actor and veteran Steele MacKaye, who posed in his own uniform.

Seventh Regiment Memorial statue of a soldier holding a rifle beside a stone pedestal in Central Park
The Seventh Regiment Memorial shows a soldier standing atop a stone pedestal amid the trees of Central Park.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
Seventh Regiment Memorial showing a uniformed soldier holding a rifle upright.
The Seventh Regiment Memorial depicts a uniformed soldier standing with a rifle held upright.
April 2012 © · CC0
Seventh Regiment Memorial statue on a tall stone pedestal in Central Park, seen from behind among trees and shrubs.
The Seventh Regiment Memorial stands on a tall pedestal in Central Park, framed by spring greenery.
April 2012 © · CC0
Seventh Regiment Memorial bronze figure on a stone pedestal in a winter park with city buildings behind it.
The Seventh Regiment Memorial stands in a park framed by bare winter trees and nearby apartment buildings.
December 2009 © · CC0
Carved inscription on the granite base of the Seventh Regiment Memorial reading \
Inscription on the granite base of the Seventh Regiment Memorial in Central Park.
© · CC0

Identification

TitleSeventh Regiment Memorial
TypeOutdoor sculpture
Alternative nameSeventh Regiment Memorial (in English)

Historical context

Model completionBy spring 1868
Unveiling dateJune 22, 1874
Date on statue1869
Broader unbuilt schemeA series of Beaux-Arts entrances to Central Park
Original intended designA much larger monument with at least five figures, part of Hunt's 'Warrior Gate' entrance scheme for Central Park
Reduced designThe original grand scheme was reduced to the present monument after conflicts with Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux over aesthetic matters
Dedicated toMembers of the Seventh Regiment who died during the American Civil War
Commission dateProbably 1867
Commissioned byThe Seventh Regiment Monument Association

Creator

Model for the soldier figureSteele MacKaye, actor and veteran of the regiment
Pose referenceMacKaye posed in his own uniform
Base designerRichard Morris Hunt
ArchitectRichard Morris Hunt
SculptorJohn Quincy Adams Ward

Physical characteristics

Location of sculptureAtop a granite base
Figure representedA soldier
Base materialGranite
MaterialBronze

Location and ownership

LocationCentral Park, New York City, New York, United States

Iconography and meaning

SubjectMembers of the Seventh Regiment who died during the Civil War

Significance

Art-historical assessmentE. Wayne Craven considered the work a failure, but also regarded it as a work of art
Craven's interpretation of the failureHe argued that neither the 'Shakespeare' nor the 'Seventh Regiment Soldier' were portrait statues in the usual sense, and that this explained their failures
Craven's assessment of Ward's abilityWard often lacked the vision to create a successful imaginary portrait, but his images of men who could actually stand before him were usually stronger as works of art