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Detail of Independence Flagstaff, Union Square, NYC
Photo by New York Scugnizzo
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By Giovanni di Napoli
While waiting to meet a friend the other day I had the good fortune to stumble across an amazing work of art by the great Sicilian-American sculptor Anthony (Antonio) de Francisci. At the intersection of Broadway and Fourth Avenue lies Union Square Park, a cozy little oasis in the heart of bustling Manhattan. A popular meeting place for Manhattanites and home to a pretty cool farmers market, the park is filled with many artistic treasures including statues of General George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette. However, what really caught my eye were the intricate bronze mid-reliefs wrapped around the stone base of the Charles F. Murphy Memorial Flagpole, otherwise known as Independence Flagstaff.
Half-hidden behind hedges on a fenced-off lawn, this obscured masterpiece was a gift from the Tammany Society in honor of their late president Charles F. Murphy (1858-1924). Erected in 1926, it was dedicated on the Fourth of July to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The revered document is reproduced on a large bronze tablet at the front of the memorial, while the back has a sprawling tree (perhaps the Tree of Life?) with a scroll bearing the dedication nestled in its lush limbs. From its roots begins two columns of allegorical figures representing democracy and tyranny.
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| Detail of Independence Flagstaff (Photo by New York Scugnizzo) |
On the right side of the monument a procession of idealized yeomen—hardworking and industrious—make the arduous march towards liberty, culminating with the Declaration of Independence. The handsome figures are upright and proud, naked and free. They personify art, industry, labor and vigilance. An unbridled winged horse embodies the nation's free spirit and independence. At the forefront is a kneeling woman holding up an infant with rays of light shooting from the child's head, symbolizing the nation's bright future.
In contrast, the left side depicts despondent figures—groveling and uncivilized—trudging past an imposing taskmaster or knight-errant and his fearsome steed. Struggling to reach liberty they fall short and despair. The cortège represents the enervating effects of tyranny. The bridled horse is an ancient symbol of dominance. For example, when the Hohenstaufen King Conrad of Sicily conquered Naples in 1250 he had a bit and bridle added to the city's unfettered horse emblem to show his authority.
Towering above the reliefs, mounted on granite, is a 9 feet tall stand for the flagpole. Thirteen shields bearing the coat-of-arms of the original Thirteen Colonies encircle the base of what looks like a giant candlestick. The whole thing is topped off with a massive Roman fasces, a bundle of rods with projecting axes, representing unity and strength and a common motif in patriotic American artwork.
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| Anthony de Francisci in his studio (Photo courtesy of wikipedia) |
To be honest, at first I didn't realize who's work it was. I was simply drawn to the great craftsmanship. Only upon further investigation did the artist's identity become apparent. The discovery made it that much more special to me. I was familiar with de Francisci's work as a medalist and coin designer—he's perhaps best remembered for his silver "Peace Dollar"—but until now I was clueless about this grand creation.
Born on July 13, 1887 in Palermo, Sicily, Anthony immigrated to these United States with his parents Benedetto and Maria née Liberante when he was sixteen-years-old. He became a naturalized citizen in 1913. At an early age he learned the rudiments of sculpting from his father who worked as a marble cutter in Sicily. He would go on to study art at Cooper Union and the National Academy of Design in New York City. The promising young sculptor apprenticed for Herman MacNeil and Adolph A. Weinman, two distinguished and influential artists.
In 1915 de Francisci began his long career (nearly 50 years) as an art instructor at Columbia University. Two years later, he opened his own studio in Manhattan. In 1920 he was hired by the Federal Commission of Fine Arts to make relief models of artist Harry Cochrane's designs for the Maine Centennial Half Dollar. Congress authorized the production of 100,000 coins for the celebration, but sadly only fifty thousand were ever realized, making them rare prizes for coin collectors today.
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| The back of Independence Flagstaff (Photo by New York Scugnizzo) |
That same year, the burgeoning artist married Maria Teresa Cafarelli. As a wedding gift the doting groom carved a wonderful gold plated brass bas-relief portrait of his new bride. This delightful treasure (along with a plaster mold for the bronze medallion of their daughter, Gilda) can be seen at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. By all accounts, they had a happy marriage.
Teresa was born on May 4, 1898. She immigrated to the United States from Naples with her mother, Rosa Emma, when she was only four-years-old. Her father, Donato Cafarelli and brother Domenico, arrived two years earlier. In 1918, she would go on to be the first Italian-born girl to graduate from Clinton High School in Clinton, Massachusetts.
After the success of his Maine Centennial Half Dollar the Federal Commission of Fine Arts invited de Francisci and several leading medalists to submit designs for a silver "Peace Dollar" to commemorate the armistice of WWI. Up against some stiff competition, including his former mentors (MacNeil and Weinman), de Francisci believed he had little chance of winning.
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| Another look at the monument (Photo by New York Scugnizzo) |
The Commission gave the artists a very short deadline to complete the project so de Francisci began working immediately. His wife modeled for the obverse and her natural beauty proved to be a valuable source of inspiration. As he put it, he wanted his Miss Liberty "to express something of the spirit of the country—the intellectual speed and vigor and virility America has, as well as its youth." (1) The couple maintained that the radiant goddess was not a portrait of Teresa, but an idealized portrayal of Lady Liberty. Despite the refutation, more than a few people have commented on the likeness.
The original designs for the reverse showed a majestic eagle clasping a shattered sword in its talons, but some members of the Commission believed this illustrated defeat, not peace, so it was rejected. Reworked, the weapon was replaced with an olive branch, a more conventional symbol of peace and just in case the message still wasn't clear enough the word "Peace" was engraved on the crag where the bird stood sentinel. The rays of a new dawn complete the composition.
To his great surprise (and joy) he won, and on December 26, 1921 the first coins were struck. Production would continue annually until 1929. After a short hiatus the coins were minted again in 1934 and '35, but with the advent of the Second World War they were no longer issued. Over 270 million Peace Dollars were put into circulation. Today, early specimens in pristine condition are worth a small fortune. Aside from the $1,500 prize money the popular piece won de Francisci much deserved recognition among his peers and further commissions.
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(L-R) Obverse and reverse of a 1934 silver Peace Dollar
Photos courtesy of wikipedia
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The prolific artist produced many works for both private and commercial consumption: Winchester Repeating Arms Company, United Parcel Service, Ford Motor Company and the U.S. Military were just some of the prestigious clients who acquired his extraordinary numismatic skills. De Francisci's coins, plaques, medals and statues embellish more than a few private collections as well as major institutions. Some can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but unfortunately (as of this writing) they're currently not on view. With well over 100 pieces in its possession, The Smithsonian in D.C. is the ideal place to go and see the Sicilian's extensive oeuvre.
Anthony de Francisci died at the age of 77 in New York City on October 20th, 1964. Teresa passed away twenty-six years later on October 22nd, 1990. She was 92-years-old.
Notes:
(1) Quoted from Italian Heroes of American History by Louis A. Lepis, Italian Welfare League, 1992, p. 100
For more photos see Independence Flagstaff Revisited
For more photos see Independence Flagstaff Revisited
