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Apotheosis of St. Louis

Apotheosis of St. Louis is a bronze statue of King Louis IX of France, the namesake of St. Louis, Missouri. It stands before the Saint Louis Art Museum in Forest Park and was created by the American sculptor Charles Henry Niehaus. Before the completion of the Gateway Arch, the statue served as the city’s main symbol. In 2020, after the protests following George Floyd’s death, its presence was challenged by activists, leading to tense exchanges with Catholic counter-protesters and eventually physical confrontation.

Apotheosis of St. Louis, a bronze equestrian statue of a crowned figure on a rearing horse against a blue sky
Apotheosis of St. Louis shown in side view on its stone pedestal.
© · Public domain
The Apotheosis of St. Louis, a bronze equestrian statue of a crowned figure holding a sword aloft, seen from below against an overcast sky.
The Apotheosis of St. Louis rises above visitors, with the crowned rider and raised sword silhouetted against a cloudy sky.
June 2014 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Apotheosis of St. Louis, a dark equestrian statue of a crowned figure holding a cross-topped scepter atop a stone pedestal
Apotheosis of St. Louis shown from a low angle, with the rider and horse silhouetted above the pedestal.
© · Public domain
Apotheosis of St. Louis, a crowned rider on horseback holding a raised sword and cross.
The Apotheosis of St. Louis depicted as a crowned equestrian statue with a sword raised overhead.
1904 © · No restrictions
Apotheosis of St. Louis, an illuminated bronze equestrian statue on a tall pedestal in front of a lit classical museum building at night.
Apotheosis of St. Louis lit up at night with the Art Museum in the background.
© · CC BY-SA 2.0

Identification

TitleApotheosis of St. Louis
Typebronze statue
SubjectKing Louis IX of France
NamesakeSt. Louis, Missouri
Original titleL'Apothéose de Saint-Louis

Creator

SculptorCharles Henry Niehaus
Sculptor nationalityAmerican

Discovery and provenance

Proposed bronze priceUS$90,000
Legal disputeNiehaus sued the company for infringement of his intellectual property rights
Accepted bronze priceUS$37,500
Legal settlementNiehaus received US$3,000 and the pedestal was inscribed "designed by C. H. Niehaus"
Bronze version commissioned fromW. R. Hodges
Donation contextpresented to Forest Park after the 1904 World's Fair (Universal Exposition of 1904)
Donated bythe Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company
Based ona plaster statue by Charles Henry Niehaus that stood on the concourse/lobby of the Plaza of St. Louis near the main entrance to the 1904 World's Fair, now the Missouri History Museum

Physical characteristics

Locationin front of the Saint Louis Art Museum in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri
Current locationForest Park, St. Louis, Missouri
Erection date1906
Unveiling dateOctober 4, 1906

Materials

Materialbronze

Appearance

Pedestal inscriptionswest: "Presented to the City of St. Louis by the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in commemoration of the Universal Exposition of 1904 held on this site."; north and south: "Saint Louis"

History and restoration

2020 controversyduring protests following the death of George Floyd, activists called for the statue to be removed
Defense of statueArchbishop Robert James Carlson defended the statue's presence, citing Louis IX's pious actions including charity toward the poor
2020 protest outcomemostly peaceful until clashes broke out toward the end, instigated by anti-Catholic protestors
2020 protest durationnearly three hours
Counter-protestsCatholic counter-protesters prayed the rosary in front of the statue and at times confronted the activists physically
2020 protest leaderUmar Lee
2020 criticismactivists criticized Saint Louis's participation in the Crusades and the antisemitic laws he is said to have enacted, including the burning of Jewish texts and the expulsion of French Jews
Historical roleprincipal symbol of St. Louis from its erection in 1906 until the Gateway Arch was built in the mid-1960s
Vandalism historySaint Louis' sword has been broken or stolen several times over the years
Sword replacementsreplaced in 1970, 1972, 1977, and 1981
Restoration costUS$23,000
Restorationrestored in 1999 by Russell-Marti Conservation Services
Gateway Arch relationthe Gateway Arch replaced it as the city's main symbol in the mid-1960s
Association with city iconographyfeatured heavily in St. Louis iconography until the completion of the Gateway Arch in the 1960s

Iconography and meaning

City origin associationKing Louis IX is the origin of the name of St. Louis, Missouri
Military insignia usethe profile image appears on the arms and distinctive unit insignia of the 138th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army and Missouri National Guard
Sports logo useused as part of the St. Louis Browns logo in the 1930s and 1940s
Revived logo userevived by St. Louis Soccer United for use in its logo in 2008
Transmutationconverted into Joan of Arc for the St. Louis Athletica logo
Transmutation notethis transmutation was legitimized by the reconciliation of Arc with Arch
Iconographic contextpart of the iconography of St. Louis

Significance

Historical interpretationhistorian Thomas Madden of Saint Louis University argued that the statue is a symbol of modern progress rather than religious art and supported keeping it