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The Rescue (statue)
Encyclopedia
The Rescue is a large marble sculpture group assembled in front of the east façade of the United States Capitol
building and exhibited there from 1853 until 1958 when it was removed and never restored. The sculptural ensemble was created by sculptor Horatio Greenough
(1805–52) who had previously been commissioned by the U.S. government to create a massive sculpture, George Washington
(1832–41) for the Capitol rotunda
, also now removed from that site. Due to long-standing controversies, these two sculptures have brought Greenough’s reputation to a very low ebb.
(depicting a triumphant Christopher Colombus and a cowering Indian maiden) on the left. The Rescue depicts a confrontation between a bellicose American Indian
warrior and a pioneer family. At the left rear of the group, a crouching pioneer woman desperately clasps a small child. To the front, an outsized frontiersman forcibly prevents a tomahawk
-wielding Indian from brutally murdering his family. The heroic rescuer, however, refrains from injuring his adversary and displays a total mastery of the situation as well as a certain compassion for his enemy. The vengeful Indian warrior is rendered impotent and childlike. (His posture is loosely based on the central figure of the ancient Laocoön
sculpture group.) The frontiersman’s helmet-like headgear is fashioned like a Renaissance
cap. To the right, the family dog looks on.
Greenough wrote that The Rescue was meant to “commemorate the dangers & difficulty of peopling our continent, and which shall also serve as a memorial of the Indian race”, but also “to convey the idea of the triumph of the whites over the savage tribes”
. The group has also been seen as rationalizing Andrew Jackson
’s “Indian Removal
” policy of the 1830s. Although Greenough did not name the rescuer, the public recognized him as Daniel Boone
and the statuary was widely known as "Daniel Boone Protects His Family."
In 1939, a joint resolution submitted to — but not passed by — the U.S. House of Representatives recommended that The Rescue be "...ground into dust, and scattered to the four winds, that no more remembrance may be perpetuated of our barbaric past, and that it may not be a constant reminder to our American Indian citizens…" Several other protests, including by American Indian groups, were made in the intervening years and in 1958, both Discovery and Rescue were removed from the east façade in preparation for the building’s extension. They were placed in storage and — without public discussion — never restored.
, thus reducing it to several fragments. Today they lie obscure and unmourned beside Discovery, also said to be in poor condition.
In an unusual collaboration between the Middlebury College Museum of Art and the Office of the Architect of the Capitol
, the pioneer's dog from The Rescue was exhibited during a temporary show, “Horatio Greenough: An American Sculptor's Drawings” in late 1999.
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
building and exhibited there from 1853 until 1958 when it was removed and never restored. The sculptural ensemble was created by sculptor Horatio Greenough
Horatio Greenough
Horatio Greenough was an American sculptor best known for his United States government commissions The Rescue and George Washington .-Biography:...
(1805–52) who had previously been commissioned by the U.S. government to create a massive sculpture, George Washington
George Washington (statue)
George Washington is a massive sculpture by Horatio Greenough commissioned for the centennial of U.S President George Washington's birth in February 22, 1732.-Description:...
(1832–41) for the Capitol rotunda
United States Capitol Rotunda
The United States Capitol rotunda is the central rotunda of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.. Located below the Capitol dome, it is the tallest part of the Capitol and has been described as its "symbolic and physical heart."...
, also now removed from that site. Due to long-standing controversies, these two sculptures have brought Greenough’s reputation to a very low ebb.
Description
The Rescue was displayed to the right of the large staircase of the east façade of the U.S. Capitol and was a companion piece to another sculpture, Luigi Persico's Discovery of AmericaDiscovery of America (statue)
Discovery of America is a large marble sculpture group assembled in front of the east façade of the United States Capitol building and exhibited there from 1844 until 1958 when it was removed and never restored.-Description:...
(depicting a triumphant Christopher Colombus and a cowering Indian maiden) on the left. The Rescue depicts a confrontation between a bellicose American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
warrior and a pioneer family. At the left rear of the group, a crouching pioneer woman desperately clasps a small child. To the front, an outsized frontiersman forcibly prevents a tomahawk
Tomahawk (axe)
A tomahawk is a type of axe native to North America, traditionally resembling a hatchet with a straight shaft. The name came into the English language in the 17th century as a transliteration of the Powhatan word.Tomahawks were general purpose tools used by Native Americans and European Colonials...
-wielding Indian from brutally murdering his family. The heroic rescuer, however, refrains from injuring his adversary and displays a total mastery of the situation as well as a certain compassion for his enemy. The vengeful Indian warrior is rendered impotent and childlike. (His posture is loosely based on the central figure of the ancient Laocoön
Laocoön and his Sons
The statue of Laocoön and His Sons , also called the Laocoön Group, is a monumental sculpture in marble now in the Vatican Museums, Rome. The statue is attributed by the Roman author Pliny the Elder to three sculptors from the island of Rhodes: Agesander, Athenodoros and Polydorus...
sculpture group.) The frontiersman’s helmet-like headgear is fashioned like a Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
cap. To the right, the family dog looks on.
History and meaning
. The group has also been seen as rationalizing Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
’s “Indian Removal
Indian Removal
Indian removal was a nineteenth century policy of the government of the United States to relocate Native American tribes living east of the Mississippi River to lands west of the river...
” policy of the 1830s. Although Greenough did not name the rescuer, the public recognized him as Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits mad']'e him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of...
and the statuary was widely known as "Daniel Boone Protects His Family."
In 1939, a joint resolution submitted to — but not passed by — the U.S. House of Representatives recommended that The Rescue be "...ground into dust, and scattered to the four winds, that no more remembrance may be perpetuated of our barbaric past, and that it may not be a constant reminder to our American Indian citizens…" Several other protests, including by American Indian groups, were made in the intervening years and in 1958, both Discovery and Rescue were removed from the east façade in preparation for the building’s extension. They were placed in storage and — without public discussion — never restored.
Fate
In 1976, a crane accidentally dropped The Rescue while moving it to a new Smithsonian storage area in MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, thus reducing it to several fragments. Today they lie obscure and unmourned beside Discovery, also said to be in poor condition.
In an unusual collaboration between the Middlebury College Museum of Art and the Office of the Architect of the Capitol
Architect of the Capitol
The Architect of the Capitol is the federal agency responsible for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex, and also the head of that agency. The Architect of the Capitol is in the legislative branch and is responsible to the United States...
, the pioneer's dog from The Rescue was exhibited during a temporary show, “Horatio Greenough: An American Sculptor's Drawings” in late 1999.