Francis Scott Key Monument, (sculpture)

Object Details

sculptor

Mercie, Marius Jean Antonin 1845-1916

Subject

Key, Francis Scott

Index of American Sculpture, University of Delaware, 1985.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, Maryland, Baltimore survey, 1993.

National Park Service, American Monuments and Outdoor Sculpture Database, MD5026, MD5001, 1989.

Monumental News, Jan. 1910, pg. 36.

SOS Conservation Treatment Award, 1998.

SOS Conservation Notification Report, 1999.

SOS Achievement Award, 2000.

Image on file.

The Evening Sun (Baltimore, MD), Oct. 6, 1960, pg. 15.

(On north side, just below the figure of Columbia:) KEY (On south side, below columns:) FRANCIS SCOTT KEY/ 1780-1843/ PRESENTED TO THE CITY OF BALTIMORE BY/ CHARLES L. MARBURG

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Summary

The monument depicts Francis Scott Key returning from the British ship on which he had been detained during the bombardment of Fort McHenry, and offering an allegorical figure of Columbia his poem, the Star Spangled Banner, destined to become the National anthem. At the base of the monument, in a large circular basin, a bronze figure of Francis Scott Key stands in the stern of a stone rowboat, his long overcoat draped over his proper left shoulder and his proper right hand raised. The stone rowboat rides the crest of a stone wave and seated in the bow is a bronze figure of a barefoot sailor manning the oars. Both Key and the sailor look up toward the top of the monument where there is a standing bronze female figure representing Columbia. She strides forward holding up the American flag on her proper left side. Beneath the figure of Columbia is a square pavilion with four Doric Columns. At the base of the columns is a small bowl resting on a low pedestal. Below the bowl is a square base that is adorned with two bronze reliefs. One relief depicts the bombardment of Fort McHenry and the other relief depicts the guns and ramparts of Fort McHenry.

1911. Dedicated May 15, 1911

Control number

IAS 75006012

Type

Sculptures-Outdoor Sculpture

Sculptures-Fountain

Sculptures

Medium

Sculpture: bronze, marble, and granite; Base: granite; Fountain basin: granite

Owner/Location

Administered by City of Baltimore Recreation and Parks 2600 Madison Avenue Baltimore Maryland 21217

Located Eutaw Place & Lanvale Street Baltimore Maryland

Title

Francis Scott Key Fountain, (sculpture)

Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums

Topic

Portrait male--Full length

Occupation--Writer--Poet

Occupation--Law--Lawyer

Figure female--Full length

Allegory--Civic--Republic

Object--Other--Flag

History--United States--War of 1812

Figure group--Male

Occupation--Military--Soldier

Occupation--Military--Sailor

Object--Weapon--Cannon

Architecture exterior--Military--Fort

Architecture--Boat--Rowboat

Record ID

siris_ari_11315

Metadata Usage (text)

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