Leif, the Discoverer
Leif, the Discoverer is a bronze sculpture of Leif Ericson by American sculptor Anne Whitney. The Milwaukee copy was erected in Juneau Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on November 15, 1887. The first casting of the statue is located in Boston, Massachusetts, on Commonwealth Avenue. By the 1990s, the sculpture showed signs of structural instability, including cracks, erosion, and deteriorating caulking in the pedestal. In 1995 it was moved 20 feet west to keep it from falling off the bluff, then cleaned and coated with acrylic resin. During that restoration, residue of gold size suggested it may once have been gilded. The restored statue was dedicated on May 17, 1996, and its lighting system was later updated in 2017.
© Anne Whitney · Public domain
© Anne Whitney · CC BY-SA 3.0
© Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain
© Anne Whitney · CC BY-SA 3.0
© Anne Whitney · CC BY-SA 3.0
Identification | |
| Title | Leif, the Discoverer |
| Subject | Leif Ericson |
| Type | bronze sculpture |
Creator | |
| Artist nationality | American |
| Artist | Anne Whitney |
Location and ownership | |
| Current location | Juneau Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States |
| Original location | Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts |
History and restoration | |
| Post-cleaning treatment | Covered in acrylic resin |
| Relocation date | February 1995 |
| Relocation | Moved 20 feet to the west |
| Relocation reason | To prevent the statue from falling off the bluff |
| Cleaning date | September 1995 |
| Rededication occasion | Norway's annual Constitution Day celebration |
| Possible original surface finish | Residue of gold size found during cleaning suggests the statue may originally have been gilded |
| Rededication date | May 17, 1996 |
| Condition by the 1990s | Structural instability, including cracks, erosion, and deterioration of the caulking in the pedestal |
| Lighting system cost | $3,800 |
| Lighting system funding | Bequest from the late lodge member Duane Olson |
| Lighting system partners | Sons of Norway Fosselyngen Lodge, Milwaukee County, and the City of Milwaukee |
| Lighting added | A lighting system was added to the statue in October 2001 |
| 2017 work | The lighting system was replaced and the statue was professionally cleaned by Juneau Park Friends |
| Erection date | November 15, 1887 |
| Milwaukee replica erection | A replica was erected in Milwaukee in November 1887 |
| Donor | Mrs. Joseph T. Gilbert |
| Dedication ceremony | No dedication ceremony was held at the request of the donor |
Physical characteristics | |
| Figure height | about 8 feet tall |
| Base dimensions | Upper base: approximately 110 × 84 × 84 inches; lower base: approximately 12 × 9 × 96 inches |
Materials | |
| Base material | red sandstone |
| Sculpture material | bronze |
Appearance | |
| Accessories | Powder horn over his shoulder and a knife in a decorative sheath at his side |
| Pose | Shading his eyes to scan the distance |
| Age depiction | youthful |
| Facial hair depiction | clean-shaven |
| Clothing | Scale armor shirt with breast plates, studded belt, tunic, leggings, and leather sandals |
| Support | Large red sandstone pedestal |
Iconography and meaning | |
| Inscription | "Leif, the discoverer / son of Erik / who sailed from Iceland / and landed on this continent / A.D. 1000." |
| Comparative note | Unlike some other depictions of him |
| Runic inscription | "Leif, son of Erik the Red." |
| Historical reference | Refers to Leif Ericson as the discoverer who sailed from Iceland and landed on this continent in A.D. 1000 |