Print Size: 11" x 14" (Frame Size: 16"x 20") Artist: Frederic Auguste Bartholdi
The Statue of Liberty put her best foot forward on October 24, 1881 when the first rivet was driven into her big toe; the statue was assembled in Paris and displayed for months before being dismantled and shipped to New York in 350 pieces. To increase public support, parts of the statue were exhibited on both sides of the Atlantic but fund raising lagged to the point of suggesting a “serial sculpture” that people might view incrementally by travelling from place to place. The colossos was modeled after Libertas, Roman goddess of freedom. (Her “Greek feet,” with the big toe shorter than the second toe, testifies to her ancestry). Designed to stand for centuries, Ms. Liberty was custom fit with 25-foot-long open toe sandals. According to U.S. standards for women’s shoes, she wears size 879. Ou, la,la!
