Simón Bolívar (Tadolini) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Simon Bolivar |
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The statue in San Francisco in 2013
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| Artist | Adamo Tadolini |
| Year | 1984 (San Francisco) |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Medium | Bronze |
| Subject | Simón Bolívar |
| Location | Lima, Peru (1850s); Caracas, Venezuela (1870s); San Francisco, United States of America |
| 37°46′47″N 122°24′54″W / 37.7798°N 122.4150°W | |
The Simon Bolivar statue, also called General Bolivar, is a cool bronze sculpture of Simón Bolívar riding a horse. It was made by Adamo Tadolini. There are three copies of this statue! You can find them in Lima, Peru; Caracas, Venezuela; and San Francisco, California, USA.
The statue in Lima is the oldest. It was made in Italy in the 1850s. The one in Caracas was made later by the same company. The San Francisco statue was created by Miriam Gandica Mora and Victor Hugo Barrenchea-Villegas. It was officially shown in December 1984.
Contents
What Does the Statue Look Like?
Adamo Tadolini's statue shows Simón Bolívar riding a horse that is standing on its back legs. Bolívar wears a fancy military uniform. This includes a decorated coat, a long cape, tall boots, and special shoulder pieces called epaulets. He also has a sash across his body.
You can see a sword in its holder near his left leg. He holds his hat on the right side of his body. Tadolini was a student of a famous sculptor named Antonio Canova. Both artists worked in a style called Neoclassicism. This style uses ideas from ancient Greek and Roman art.
Some people think the Bolívar statue was inspired by a famous painting. This painting is called Napoleon Crossing the Alps by Jacques-Louis David. It shows Napoleon on a rearing horse. Tadolini had a challenge that the painter did not. He had to make sure the heavy bronze horse would not fall over. It was tricky to make it stand on just two legs and a tail! Another statue, the Bronze Horseman, also solved this problem. It might have given Tadolini ideas.
Where Can You Find the Statues?
The Lima Statue
The first statue was sculpted in Rome, Italy. It was then cast, or molded, in Munich, Germany. The base for the statue was also made in Rome using marble.
The Caracas Statue
On November 7, 1874, the statue in Caracas was officially opened. Bells rang and 21 guns were fired to celebrate. This happened in the middle of Plaza Bolívar.
The president of Venezuela at that time was Antonio Guzmán Blanco. He really admired Bolívar. He even bought Bolívar's childhood home. This home was close to where the statue was placed. He also named the country's money the Venezuelan bolívar.
The San Francisco Statue
The San Francisco copy was designed by Miriam Gandica Mora. It was cast by Victor Hugo Barrenchea-Villegas. The statue was officially shown on December 6, 1984. You can find it at United Nations Plaza. This is where Hyde Street and Fulton Street meet.
The city of San Francisco and the San Francisco Arts Commission take care of the statue. In 1992, the Smithsonian Institution checked on the statue. This was part of their "Save Outdoor Sculpture!" program.
Image gallery
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Napoleon at the Saint-Bernard Pass (1801). This painting might have inspired Tadolini.
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Plaza Bolívar, Lima, with the Our Lady of Charity church in the 1800s.
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Plaza Bolívar, Caracas
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The Caracas version of the statue.
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An equestrian statue of Guzmán Blanco. He was president when the Bolívar statue was put up in Caracas.
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The statue of Simon Bolivar at UN Plaza, San Francisco.
Images for kids
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Copy in San Francisco in 2013.
