In this artwork, how is the 1945 terra cotta statue of the Statues elucidated?
Dedicated on June 9, 1945, the terra cotta Spartan is made of five large glazed terra cotta sections fired from red Ohio clay. These pieces were joined by mortar joints, with a poured concrete core over a steel frame. The statue stands 9’ 7" high and weighs approximately 3,000 pounds. When the statue was erected, popular media claimed that it was the tallest free-standing ceramic sculpture in the world, though that record remains unconfirmed. Though the statue's pose recalls classic Greek sculpture, Jungwirth's stylized design is closer to the mid-20th century modernist design, borrowing heavily from Cubism, Futurism, and depression-era civic art.
terra cotta concrete steel Futurism Greek sculpture glaze Cubism modernist Greek Spartan Sparta mortar depression sculpture