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The Spirit of Detroit is a city monument with a large bronze statue created by Marshall Fredericks and located at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center on Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, USA. It was commissioned in 1955 for a cost of $58,000, and dedicated in 1958. In its left hand, the large seated figure holds a gilt bronze sphere emanating rays to symbolize God. In its right hand, is a family group symbolizing all human relationships. The 26-foot ( m) sculpture was the largest cast bronze statue since the Renaissance when it was first installed. It was cast in Oslo, Norway. The statue underwent a restoration in 2006, funded by foundations and other private also includes the seals of the city and the county. The sculpture was not actually named. A plaque in front of the sculpture bears the inscription, "The artist expresses the concept that God, through the spirit of man is manifested in the family, the noblest human relationship." Working from a small model, Fredericks made the full-scale model for the 16-foot-tall ( m) figure at the entrance to the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center in Detroit, Michigan. For monumental sculpture, sculptors typically create a small model or maquette, then progressively larger models. This provides an opportunity to work out compositional details prior to construction of the large, expensive, and time-consuming full-scale model. Enlargement of the model is done with a point-up or pantograph machine. Three of the smaller models are on display in the Sculptor's Studio. Fredericks stated he never named the piece. He said: "The theme was a verse from the Bible (2 Corinthians 3:17); 'Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.' I tried to express the spirit of man through the deity and the family,"After it was installed in 1958, it became popularly known as The Spirit of Detroit. Fredrick's waived his creative fee for this sculpture.
Size: 2736px × 3648px
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Photo credit: © Cynthia Lindow / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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