Fortitude (King) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fortitude |
|
|---|---|
| Lady Fortitude | |
 |
|
| Artist | James King (sculptor) |
| Year | 1979 |
| Type | Metal |
| Dimensions | 384.048 cm × 365.76 cm (151.200 in × 144.00 in) |
| Location | Washington, D.C., United States |
| 38°55′18.8″N 77°1′7.62″W / 38.921889°N 77.0187833°W | |
| Owner | Howard University |
Fortitude (also known as Lady Fortitude) is a famous sculpture found at Howard University in Washington, D.C., United States. This artwork was created by an American artist named James King. It stands in a special area called Fortitude Plaza.
What Does Fortitude Look Like?
This sculpture shows a woman's figure made from a thin piece of metal. She appears to be wearing a sleeveless dress and high heels. Her hair is short and straight. The woman is shown in motion, as if she is walking. Her left arm swings up above her head, and her right arm is back behind her.
Meet the Artist: James King
The talented artist who created Fortitude is James King. He was born in Chicago. King studied art at several well-known places. These include the Art Institute of Chicago, the Goethe-Institut, and the University of Vienna.
The Story Behind Fortitude
The Fortitude sculpture was first shown to the public on April 28, 1979. Members of a group called Delta Sigma Theta unveiled it. This group is a sorority, which is like a club for women in college. They wanted to honor the 22 women who first started their sorority.
The sculpture is meant to show important qualities. It symbolizes strength, courage, hope, wisdom, beauty, and femininity. These are all qualities that the 22 founders of Delta Sigma Theta were known for.
Years later, in 1986, the sorority gave smaller versions of Fortitude as gifts. Some famous people who received these gifts included Winnie Mandela and Leah Tutu.
On July 11, 2013, the sorority gave another gift to Howard University. They dedicated Fortitude Plaza, which is the area around the sculpture. Four female architecture students at Howard University designed this plaza. Their design was based on the original landscape work done by David Williston in 1932.
