Focus on this artwork and explain the Background.
Serenity was bought by Charles Deering in Sitges, a town near Barcelona, Spain. Deering had a unique art collection that included many works by Catalan artists. In 1916 he commissioned sculptor Josep Clarà i Ayats (1878–1958) to sculpt a version of Serenity for the main patio of his villa in Sitges, known as Palau de Maricel. However, later changes in the building forced Deering to change his mind so to locate the statue at  Meridian Hill Park as a tribute to his friend and classmate from the U.S. Naval Academy – William Henry Scheutze (1853–1902).The sculpture was dedicated on March 12, 1924. Schuetze was a naval officer from the academy who graduated in 1873 and went on to serve as a navigator on the U.S.S. Iowa during the Spanish–American War. He was active in the U.S. Naval White Squadron in Chicago. Earlier in his naval career (1882-84), as mentioned in President Chester A. Arthur's second State of the Union address (also with Schuetze misspelled per that linked source), he was a lieutenant on missions in the aftermath of the disastrous Jeannette expedition in the Arctic Ocean. Before his death in 1927, Schuetze became president of the International Harvester Company.The sculpture is similar to the one located at the Miramar Gardens in Montjuïc, Barcelona. The Museu de la Garrotxa d'Olot holds other versions of this work.
1916 Chester A. Arthur Spanish–American War Josep Clarà i Ayats U.S. Naval Academy Barcelona Meridian Hill Park Olot Charles Deering second State of the Union address Josep Clarà International Harvester Company U.S.S. Iowa Spain International Harvester Sitges Jeannette expedition Miramar Gardens in Montjuïc Catalan