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Storia

Storia refers to the marble sculpture by Horatio Greenough known as George Washington, commissioned by the U.S. Congress on 14 July 1832 to mark the centenary of George Washington’s birth. Completed in 1840, it was first displayed in the rotunda of the United States Capitol, then moved to the Capitol’s East Garden in 1843. Since 1964, it has been kept at the National Museum of American History. Greenough modeled the work on Phidias’ statue of Zeus at Olympia, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, which was destroyed in late antiquity.

A large seated marble statue of a male figure with one arm raised and the other holding a bound object, displayed in a room with arched windows.
A seated marble statue stands in a room with arched windows and display cases.
1939 © Harris & Ewing, photographer · Public domain
Horatio Greenough’s marble statue of George Washington with a group of children and women gathered in front of it.
Horatio Greenough’s George Washington statue at the U.S. Capitol, with visitors gathered before the monument.
· Public domain
Marble sculpture of George Washington seated on a throne with his right arm raised in a high-ceilinged hall
George Washington marble sculpture displayed at the end of a vaulted hall.
© Smithsonian Institution · Public domain
The sculpture Storia shows a seated classical male figure with one arm raised, resting on an ornate pedestal with smaller figures.
Storia, a seated classical figure on an ornate pedestal, shown in this monochrome illustration.
1854 © · No restrictions
Storia, a translucent statue of George Washington superimposed over a mountain landscape and faded historical painting.
Storia shown as a translucent George Washington figure over mountains and a faded historical scene.
July 2018 © · CC BY-SA 3.0

Identification

TitleGeorge Washington
SubjectGeorge Washington
Typelarge marble statue
Alternative nameEnthroned Washington

Creator

SculptorHoratio Greenough
Artist nationalityAmerican

Historical context

StyleNeoclassicism
Referenced model fatedestroyed in late antiquity
Referenced model significanceone of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Inspirationthe Statue of Zeus at Olympia by Phidias
Completion date1840
George Washington birth date22 February 1732
Commission purposeto commemorate the 100th anniversary of George Washington's birth
Commission date14 July 1832
Commissioned byUnited States Congress

Discovery and provenance

Transferred tothe Smithsonian Institution
Current display locationsecond floor of the museum
Current locationNational Museum of American History
Transferred tothe Museum of History and Technology (now the National Museum of American History)
Displayed atthe Smithsonian Castle
Arrival in Washington, D.C.31 July 1841
Transfer authorizationjoint resolution of Congress dated 22 May 1908
Relocated toa pedestal in the East Garden of the Capitol
Relocation date1843
Initial display locationrotunda of the United States Capitol
Initial installation dateDecember 1841
Made inItaly

Physical characteristics

Right hand gestureraised with the index finger pointing upward
Cost$44,000 at contemporary prices
Techniquecarved from a huge block of marble
MaterialCarrara marble
Left hand objectsheathed sword held hilt-first
Heightabout 3.5 meters (11 feet 4 inches)
Footwearancient-style sandals
Depictionbare-chested George Washington in a semi-nude, semi-divine pose
Poseseated on an improvised throne
Weight12 tons
ClothingRoman toga

Appearance

Christopher Columbus depictionbearded, wrapped in ancient-style drapery, contemplating a globe
Right side reliefApollo driving the chariot of the Sun
Left side reliefbaby Heracles strangling serpents while his brother Iphicles covers his eyes
Seat back decorationtwo small figures depicting Christopher Columbus and an Indigenous person
Seat decorationdecorated with acanthus leaves and lion heads
Expressiongazes sternly ahead

Iconography and meaning

Symbolism of swordrepresents the transfer of power to the people of the United States after the American Revolutionary War
Symbolic meaningrepresents freedom and peace
Relief interpretationallegories of North America and South America
InscriptionsLatin inscription on the reverse side of the base of the pedestal, naming Horatio Greenough and translating as: 'Horatio Greenough made this image as a great example of freedom, which will not survive without freedom itself.'

History and restoration

Initial receptionimmediately controversial and criticized; many found the semi-nude Washington offensive or comical
Relocation reasonthe sculpture's weight and the dim light inside the rotunda
Ongoing reactiondisapproval continued after relocation; some joked that Washington was trying to recover his clothes, then displayed at the Patent Office

Significance

Unconventionalitydescribed as an unconventional sculpture
Literary referencementioned in Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol (2009) as part of a hypothesis about Masonic or occult symbols in the nation's capital
Video game appearanceappears at the beginning of BioShock Infinite (2013), set in an alternate 1912 where Washington is worshipped in the floating city of Columbia