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Monument to General Carlos M. de Alvear

Monument to General Carlos M. de Alvear is an equestrian monument by Antoine Émile Bourdelle in Buenos Aires, located in the Recoleta district. Commissioned after a 1912 competition proposal from Rodolfo Alcorta, Bourdelle won the project and began work in 1913. Although the contract required completion by June 1915, the First World War delayed the project. The monument was shipped from France to Argentina in 1925 and installed at its present site on 12 October 1926. The composition features a five-meter statue of the general on horseback, set on a fourteen-meter pink granite pedestal, with four bronze allegorical figures symbolizing Strength, Freedom, Eloquence, and Victory.

Monument to General Carlos M. de Alvear on a dark pedestal, with a tall white pole and trees beside it.
The Monument to General Carlos M. de Alvear stands on a multi-tiered pedestal beneath a bright sky.
May 2009 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Monument to General Carlos M. de Alvear with a dark equestrian statue atop a tall stone pedestal and standing figures at the base
The Monument to General Carlos M. de Alvear rises above a stepped pedestal, with an equestrian statue silhouetted against the sky.
September 2015 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Workers clean graffiti from the Monument to General Carlos M. de Alvear while two men observe nearby.
Cleaning work at the Monument to General Carlos M. de Alvear, with workers removing graffiti as officials watch.
February 2010 © · CC BY 2.0
Bronze horse from the Monument to General Carlos M. de Alvear stands in a courtyard with brick arcades and smaller bronze figures.
The bronze horse from the Monument to General Carlos M. de Alvear in the courtyard of the Musée Bourdelle.
December 2009 © · CC BY 2.0
Monument to General Carlos M. de Alvear featuring a dark bronze horse statue with one front leg raised in front of a red brick building.
The Monument to General Carlos M. de Alvear shows a bronze horse statue standing before a red brick building under an overcast sky.
May 2008 © · CC BY-SA 2.0

Identification

TitleMonument to General Carlos M. de Alvear
Original titleMonumento ecuestre a Carlos María de Alvear
TypeEquestrian monument

Historical context

HonoreeCarlos María de Alvear (1788/1789–1852), Argentine military officer and politician; Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in 1815; major figure in Argentine independence
Relationship to other monumentsLocated near and opposite the monument honoring his son Torcuato de Alvear

Creator

ArtistAntoine Bourdelle
Artist nationalityFrench

Discovery and provenance

Artist's assessmentBourdelle considered it one of his best works and his masterpiece among his great monuments
InaugurationInaugurated in the presence of President Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear, the honoree's grandson
Unveiling date16 October 1926
Installation date12 October 1926
Transport to ArgentinaBrought from France to Argentina in 1925
Original completion deadlineJune 1915
Work periodAbout 10 years; delayed by World War I
Competition resultBourdelle won the competition and received the commission on 1 March 1913
CompetitionBourdelle was invited to a 1912 design competition for the monument
Commissioned byThe authorities of Buenos Aires / the Argentine state
Commission initiated byRodolfo Alcorta, Argentine collector and friend of Antoine Bourdelle

Physical characteristics

Main figure height5 m
Total monument height20 m
Pedestal height13–14 m
Pedestal base areaAbout 20 m²
Allegorical figures height370 cm
CompositionCarlos María de Alvear is depicted on horseback, with horse and rider forming a static unit
Figure poseRight arm raised, in the attitude of ordering his troops into battle; cape flowing behind him
Horse typeWar horse (bridón de guerra)

Materials

Other materialsPlaster
Allegorical figures materialBronze
Pedestal materialPink granite
Main figure materialBronze

Technique

Pedestal designerAlejandro Bustillo
Pedestal formPrismatic polished granite base with blind arches and a platform for the horse
Casting durationThree years to cast all figures in bronze

Appearance

Stylistic inspirationCeremonial equestrian monuments of Antiquity and the Renaissance
Stylistic influencesAncient Greek sculpture, archaic Greek art, Michelangelo, and medieval influences
Stylistic featureEmphasized verticality
Visual effectLooks good against the sky

Iconography and meaning

Preparatory studiesHe made numerous drawings and maquettes with variants; horse studies were sketched in the stables of the cuirassier regiment in Montauban during World War I
Design processBourdelle repeatedly revised the allegories, sometimes up to six times, because he found them an anachronism
Victory depictionCourageous and steadfast, supporting a sword and a tree sprout; shown without joy, looking anxiously into the distance
Eloquence attributeOpen mouth and scroll; later versions show a bearded man with a scroll
Victory attributeSword
Freedom attributeVine
Strength attributeClub or staff
Meaning of allegoriesThey symbolize or explain the virtues and ideals of General Alvear
Allegorical figuresStrength, Freedom, Eloquence, and Victory
Pedestal decorationFour allegorical figures at the corners of the pedestal

Location and ownership

LocationPlaza Julio de Caro, Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina, near the Palais de Glace, opposite Avenida Alvear and adjacent to Plaza Intendente Alvear
Nearby landmarkPalais de Glace
Nearby avenueAvenida Alvear
Nearby squarePlaza Intendente Alvear
Nearby squarePlaza Julio de Caro

History and restoration

War-related delayWorld War I hindered completion; Bourdelle's assistants were mobilized and materials were unavailable
Completion statusCompleted after World War I

Significance

Artist's opinionBourdelle considered it one of his best works
InscriptionBrigadier General / Carlos de Alvear / 1789 - 1852
Inscription placementFront