William Tecumseh Sherman, Gilded bronze equestrian monument at Grand Army Plaza in Manhattan, New York, United States
William Tecumseh Sherman is a gilded-bronze sculpture group at Grand Army Plaza in Manhattan, New York. It consists of an equestrian statue of General Sherman and a separate allegorical figure of Victory, the Greek goddess Nike, leading the horse. Both statues stand on a Stony Creek granite pedestal designed by architect Charles Follen McKim.
The idea for a Sherman monument dates to 1888. Sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens and architect Charles Follen McKim chose the site at what became Grand Army Plaza, and the gilded bronze group was cast in 1902 and dedicated on May 30, 1903. After Joseph Pulitzer's 1911 bequest funded a fountain, the monument was moved 15 feet west in the 1910s to face it symmetrically.
The Victory figure wears flowing drapery and points forward with her hand as she guides the general forward. This representation reflects how public monuments use allegorical figures to convey themes of triumph and leadership.
The work sits at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 59th Street, making it easy to reach at a major intersection. A visit works best in daylight when you can see the bronze details clearly and take in the full plaza setting.
The obverse of Saint-Gaudens' 1907 double eagle gold coin, showing Liberty, is based on this monument's Victory figure. Sculptor John Quincy Adams Ward was unconvinced by the group, remarking that Saint-Gaudens was a timid rider and that a stumble would throw the general over the horse's head.
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