Alexander von Humboldt by Gustav Blaeser, Bronze monument in Central Park, United States.
The sculpture depicts the naturalist holding a globe in his hands, standing on a granite base near Conservatory Water. The bronze work is life-sized and carefully detailed to show the features of this important explorer and scientist.
The memorial was erected in 1869 by the Humboldt Memorial Association to mark the hundredth year after the scholar's birth. The donation of this statue by German Americans shows how much that community wanted to honor their scientific heritage in their adopted country.
The monument stands among other tributes to German thinkers placed in the park by immigrant communities. These sculptures show how much European science and culture mattered to New York's 1800s communities.
The monument is located near West 77th Street and can be easily reached through the entrance near the American Museum of Natural History. Visitors can best appreciate the sculpture in daylight hours when the details are clearly visible from all angles.
The sculptor used the scholar's death mask as a reference to capture his facial features with accuracy. This gives the statue a particular authenticity compared to many other memorials around the city.
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