General Lafayette With Partial Head And No Feet
by Cora Wandel
Title
General Lafayette With Partial Head And No Feet
Artist
Cora Wandel
Medium
Photograph
Description
If it were not for all the twigs hanging down on his scalp and forehead, I would not have partially decapitated the honorable Major General Marquis Gilbert de Lafayette, but since I was already focusing on his body and clothing, the annoying twigs gave me a reason to shoot Lafayette's statue in this manner. As for his feet, well, I figured since he does not have a head, let's balance the shot and eliminate his feet as well. Yes, I know this goes against the rules of what proper and established photography is -- never cut off someone's head or even feet!
This is the Major General Marquis Gilbert de Lafayette Memorial in Lafayette Square across the street from the White House in Washington, DC. Lafayette was a French-born aristocrat and military officer born in 1757, and came to America to serve in the Revolutionary War. He became a major-general under George Washington in the Continental Army. Among his Revolutionary War accomplishments, he served and was wounded in the Battle of Brandywine, but despite his wounds he led the Continental Army to victor in that battle. Lafayette also led his men to an impressive victory in the Battle of Rhode Island. Even though Lafayette would become an American citizen, when he died in 1834 he was buried in his native homeland of France, under soil from Washington's grave at Mount Vernon.
The bronze statue was made by sculptor Jean Alexandre Joseph Falguiere in 1890, and has been on the southeast corner of Lafayette Square since 1891.
There is an inscription on the base of the memorial that reads: "To General Lafayette and his Compatriots, 1777 - 1783."
Uploaded
December 8th, 2016
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