The bronze sculpture installed and unveiled this month in DC is glorious. Here are three reasons why.
A Testament to the Human Experience
This large sculpture is located at the National World War I Memorial, just across the street from the White House. The narrative bronze art captures the journey of an anonymous “everyman” soldier— showing him leaving home, joining other soldiers, experiencing the hell that is war, and returning home changed.
Art as Historical Memory
“A Soldier’s Journey” serves as a critical piece of public memory. The memory of WWI has faded in the US. Our involvement in the conflict was brief but consequential. It set the stage for the US as a global power. Sabin Howard, the sculptor, memorializes the war, not a heroic victory statue, such as General John Pershing’s, across the plaza, but with a raw look at an ordinary soldier’s journey through the fighting.
The Artistic Innovation and Tradition
This sculpture pays homage to the traditional war memorials while pushing the boundaries of sculptural bronze art. High-relief bronze allows for detailed storytelling. So, in “A Soldier’s Journey”, Sabin Howard develops classical sculpture techniques with modern narrative techniques. This blend highlights its role not only as a monument but as an uplifting, understandable piece of public art.
Today’s public art is ugly, pointless, and derivative. This installation honors the memories of soldiers in our nation’s past and reminds us what public art should be again.
Make sure it’s on your family’s list of what to see in Washington, DC.
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